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In the south, at least the part I live in, just the way the layperson says any medical affliction sounds like a new term, I reckon.
About peoples' diabetes terminology, I had to hold my tongue when I answered a call light the other night:
Me: can I help you?
Redneck: yeah, sugar just took a dump.
Me talking: ...let me get your nurse for you
Me thinking: did this guy just call to tell me his dog crapped on the floor?...do we even allow dogs in here?...no, maybe he's talking about his girlfriend? Whaaa?
Nope, that's just southern for "I feel like my blood glucose is too low"
Well now I know better.
OleMissRN
21 Posts
Some of my favorite mispronunciations or "shortening" of a diagnosis by patients and/or family members:
The Gouch - Gout
The High Blood/Low Blood - Hypertension/Hypotension
The High Sugar - Diabetes (sometimes they actually mean hyperglycemia...but usually mean Diabetes)
The Bad Lung - COPD
Also included are the times that people completely ignore the ventilator in the room and the ETT in the pt's mouth and ask me why Johnny won't talk to them.
Anybody have any others that they found humorous?