surgical slang...

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
maxheadroom said:
The Tooth to Tattoo ratio is an excellent predictor of any number of patient demographics.
Click to expand...

We use the Tooth to Child Ratio...but I wasn't going to go there...;)

Don't forget:

Wallet biopsy - To ascertain the type of insurance a patient has...or more commonly the lack thereof.

Starbucks - See "Nectar of the Gods."

Coffee - That fuel without which the Radiology, Neurology, and General Surgery services would completely shut down.

C2 - Abbreviation for the derogatory phrase "can't c**t." Refers to lazy physicians who pass off work to their colleagues and often whine. Frequently used in conjunction with the acronym "PD."

Frequent Flyer - A patient with multiple admissions in the last year(s). Often has dictated notes begun with the phrase: "Patient is a poor historian well known to this service..."

Nectar of the Gods - See "Starbucks."

Orthopaedic Triple Point (aka General Surgery Triple Point) - The single point at which a precocious resident may place his/her (likely borrowed) stethoscope and adequately listen to the heart, the lungs, and the entire GI tract in one fell swoop.

Potassium - That magic electrolyte that all Internal Medicine discussions eventually refer back upon.

Doorknob Rounds - A rounding format unique to General Surgery whereby the entire presentation takes place in five seconds while the Attending's hand grasps the doorknob to the entrance of the patient's room.

Airwolf - Reference to the 1980's televison series featuring a black-colored, weapons-laden attack helicopter. Moniker for emergency aeromedical services. Used as both verb and noun. Best referenced by humming the theme song to the television series. Airwolf theme song link: http://www.evtv1.com/player.aspx?itemnum=1479

Sarcoidosis - A perfectly acceptable answer that may be included in ANY differential diagnosis.

Infernal Medicine - The Internal Medicine department.

Necrophiles - Derogatory term for Pathologists.

Blinky the Fish - Reference to a three-eyed, orange fish seen on the television series The Simpsons. Has been mutated by exposure to nuclear radiation. Official mascot of both the Radiology and Radiation Oncology services.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
WTF? Is he playing the cello on a boat?
 
Haha - i used to love AirWolf. Thanks for that clip; i'd totally forgotten about that show.
 
what about "pulmonary toliet"

The first time I heard that as a 3rd yr med student I laughed out loud at the ped surg fellow ... and everyone looked at ME like I was the one from outter space! :D
 
DNASplicer said:
what about "pulmonary toliet"

The first time I heard that as a 3rd yr med student I laughed out loud at the ped surg fellow ... and everyone looked at ME like I was the one from outter space! :D
Click to expand...

I usually say "aggressive pulmonary toilet" which is even more funny if you think about it (...or maybe not).:D
 
Blade28 said:
By the way, at our county (trauma-heavy) hospital, we also use the following terms when deciding what scans to order:

*Grady special - CT scan of head, c-spine, chest, abdomen, pelvis
*Grady special with gravy - all of the above plus face
Click to expand...

This was called the "pan-man-scan" where I went to med school...
 
Members don't see this ad :)
"AMF YOYO: Adios my friend, you're on your own"

my friend, huh? That's a very ... cordial interpretation of that one...
 
"AMF YOYO: Adios my friend, you're on your own"
Click to expand...

Then there is the patient who is categorized as a 6-P:
"Piss-Poor Protoplasm, Probable Placement Problem."
 
do a burn through = xray tech turns up the machine to shoot a plain film of odontoid in a patient not opening their mouth

RCC = Rapid Cosmetic Closer = staple that head laceration and let's get to scanner
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Skylizard said:
pillow of love = that surgicel fluffed up fibers, I forgot it's real name but techs often confuse it with the quilt of love.

Doest thou mean Fibrillar, perchance!

-Mike
Click to expand...
 
Great post!

Saave or Goop = antibiotic ointment

Pone = big tumor of the scalp or neck area

"The sticks" = rural area as in "he's from somewhere out in "the sticks"

CHIBLOC = closed head injury, brief loss of consciousness
 
Chronic Student said:
...= that surgicel fluffed up fibers...
mean Fibrillar?
-Mike
Click to expand...
I went down to OR supply and they pulled a package for me... it is Fibrillar

http://gallery.bcentral.com/GID5111105P4712883-Overstock/Suture/1962-Ethicon-Surgicel-Fibrillar.aspx

Think about what it looks like when water soluble contrast spills into an abdomen and soaks into the fibrillar... freaked alot of attendings out when a F/U CT-Scan was done a few days later... everyone asked, "whats that square lucency wrapped on the splean?!"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for bumping! I missed this thread before.

maxheadroom said:
...
Celestial Discharge -- should be fairly clear

Transfer to 9 West (in an eight floor hospital) -- same as Celestial Discharge
Click to expand...

On one of my medicine rotations, when a patient died their room location was changed to "heaven" and they were moved over to the D/C list. I always thought it was sweet.
 
brain guppies = the proteinaceous material that clogs ventrics
the garden = neuro icu
"toast" (as in "this guy is toast") = non survivable brain injury
perforator = drill you use to make burr holes in the skull
gorked out = GCS less than 8, to put it scientifically
 
Sorry if these are repeats- Love the thread

Muffin: ER resident - they are soft and doughy.

Bakery: The ER (where the muffins come from)

Stream Team: Urology

Studs: students

All whacked up on Scooby Snacks: Trauma patient on drugs or totally sedated unit patient

Fomites: Paeds patients
 
Heard this on my MICU rotation:

PBTB-KLO - "Pine box to bedside, keep lid open"
 
SCROTOMETER: the level of edema in the scrotum directly correlates with how sick the patient is.
 
Here we use a system developed in-house, The Diablo Score: similar to Cockroach factor or Tattoo-to-whatever ratio. It can be calculated to determine survivability after trauma or major surgery. Elevated score correlates to high survivability. Prisoner = automatic 20 point bonus, drunk driver with dead victims at the scene = off the charts.

Big Stinky = colon

On the list posted earlier of key identifiers of specific services I would add:
Fleece pullover or "hoody" over scubs = Ob/Gyn
Stethescope around neck = meditrons or any med student who hasn't yet been told to stop it when on a surgical service.

MICU Bomb = the consult pt in the MICU who has been dying of dead gut for 3 days prior to your being consulted to fix them.
 
Tool: Basically used in a derogatory manner for any resident other than one from surgery.

Tool Belt: When a bunch of Tools are rounding.

Belt Buckle: The resident/attending leading rounds for the Tool Belt.

Pediatron: Derogatory term for Peds resident. Refers to their perceived utter uselessness to the surgical housestaff or how you can often convince them of anything and make them do things they wouldn't ordinarily think of doing (termed "programming the tron" or "programming the pediatron.").
 
Oh, and as the Tool Belt is walking toward your team to ask a question, the surgical intern is supposed to continually utter "clink, clink," the sound the Tools on the Tool Belt would make.
 
Money snake = ERCP

D**K Docs = Urology

MS5's (fifth year med students) = refers to off-service interns rotating on a surgery service

RRR, CTAB, SNTND, I-cdi = exam for many am postop notes

Hades = ED

Stapelectomy = removing staples

Exploratory CT-otomy = CT pan scan with no solid indication

Talkers - IM resients

Zombies - Neurosurg residents
 
njbmd said:
Some of my favorites:

"circling the drain" = dying patient
"running toward the light" = dying patient
"crispy critter" = burned patient
"dose of I don't care" = Demerol
"dose of I don't remember" = Versed
"stew" = Emergency department
"bite the tube" = intubate
"smoke the anesthesia cigar" = intubate
"squirrel" = medical student
"fleas" = medicine folks
"Philistines" = other surgeons
"pack for whack" = pre-op patient
Click to expand...

I love it!!! :laugh::laugh:
 
FGB - fatty gone bad - term for a gastric bypass patient with a complication
Face Off - Any head and neck cancer case that involves a big resection
Sports Package - trach, PEG, IVC filter
 
smq123 said:
"getting light" - anesthesia seems to be wearing off prematurely and patient is starting to move around.
Click to expand...

Many ways for Surgery to tell Anesthesia that they're not providing enough sedation:

"Patient is bucking"
"Patient is moving"
"Patient is getting light" (as above)
"Patient is waking up"
"Patient is fighting"
"Patient isn't relaxed!"
"What's the BIS?"

Etc. :)
 
smq123 said:
"getting light" - anesthesia seems to be wearing off prematurely and patient is starting to move around.
Click to expand...

My personal favorite:



"Patient's helping us operate down here."
 
I usually just ask them to put another quarter in the anesthesia machine. Or I loudly tell the patient, "Mr. Jones, we don't give a discount for assisting."

I only say things like this when I'm working with anesthesia providers whom I know and with whom I have a relationship where that is understood to be funny and not insulting.
 
The surgeon I followed referred to them as a soon to be "unhappy customer"
 
Blade28 said:
Many ways for Surgery to tell Anesthesia that they're not providing enough sedation:

"Patient is bucking"
"Patient is moving"
"Patient is getting light" (as above)
"Patient is waking up"
"Patient is fighting"
"Patient isn't relaxed!"
"What's the BIS?"

Etc. :)
Click to expand...

"He's putting his shoes on to go home."
 
"habitus" - excuse for difficulties with an obese pt
"gall-bags" - cholecystitis patients, especially those that fit the 4F criteria
"positive etOH sign" - you can smell the alcohol on a trauma pt's breath
"passy gassy?" - not even kidding, this was my resident's attempt at spanish
"total body dolor" - pt complains of pain everywhere you touch

"a la casa" - all the chief wants to hear in rounds
 
SHPOS - subhuman piece of s**t

5P.T. syndrome - piss poor protoplasm poorly put together

pre-op - any VA patient with two completely intact legs
 
redbeans said:
"a la casa" - all the chief wants to hear in rounds
Click to expand...


Similarly "OTD" out the door, said on rounds about a patient discharging that day (all the chief wants to know is that the pt is OTD and has no am labs ordered)


"GI Rounds" Post rounding team breakfast, usually only possible on clinic days, or light OR days

"The Harborview Handshake", refers to the inevitable digital rectal exam that every trauma patient gets when they roll into the ED

"STHB" Said to have been... usually precedes a trauma patient H&P, meant to imply that whatever the patient has told you about the circumstances of the injury are probably not true i.e. Pt STHB minding own business when assaulted by foreign body vs. rectum
 
Doc Ivy said:
...
"GI Rounds" Post rounding team breakfast, usually only possible on clinic days, or light OR days...
Click to expand...

Along the same lines:

"Liver Rounds" - Going to the bar
"Ocular Rounds - Rounding on a pt by only glancing at them or Detouring while on rounds to check out a hot chick
 
"Code Brown" - previously fecally impacted patient just had a MASSIVE bowel movement; may also occur in incontinent gomers who are poorly monitored by nursing staff
 
tacobell said:
SHPOS - subhuman piece of s**t

5P.T. syndrome - piss poor protoplasm poorly put together
Click to expand...

I always heard it as the 6-P's of trauma surgery "piss poor protoplasm; probable placement problem."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

S
Surgical Critical Care/Acute Care Surgery Fellowship Interview Thread - 2024
2
Replies
67
Views
6K
HopefulDoc16
H
Rogue42
Surgical Glasses Advice / Recommendations
Replies
3
Views
944
Terrainport
Terrainport
Y
Geographic flexibility in surgical specialties
Replies
5
Views
1K
LucidSplash
LucidSplash
ru4real1666
Taking a break in surgical subspecialty fellowship
Replies
6
Views
957
ru4real1666
ru4real1666
P
Surgical Oncology Fellowship (2025 Start)
Replies
3
Views
2K
pancpanc
P
Top