Mispronunciations That Drive You Nuts

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Car-dee-ya-zem.

It's car-di-zem. Or dil-ti-ya-zem.

Cardiazem isn't a real thing.

Can I get an amen?!

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

I have had college students sign in the ED with a CC of "chess pain." Do you really not realize this is your CHEST?!? Do they also think birds lay eggs in a ness?

"Right now I'm being treated for ammonia." Not that everyone knows what pneumonia is, but come on!

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Specializes in None yet..
I'm a tech/nursing student and am orienting to a new department. One of the long time techs was orienting me to the supply room. She showed me "the supplies the docs use for incubating someone" (intubating) as well as the "post natal bags when we have to take someone to the morgue" (post mortem). There were a few other funnies like that but I forgot to write them down.

:roflmao: Post-natal bags! For keeping the placenta as a souvenir?

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.

Die-law-din or Dilantin for dilaudid

moe-feen for morphine

fursmide for furosemide

Car-devil-all for carvedilol

Metrop-all for metoprolol

tie-nenoll for Tylenol

assburn for Aspirin

it still irks me to hear in report the patient is alert and orientated, regardless of being added to the dictionary as a word. Another mispronounciation that is like fingernails on a blackboard to my ears is axe instead of ask...

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Specializes in PCCN.

Diabeetus.lol

metapropanol-metoprolol

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical / Palliative/ Hospice.
I work in endoscopy. Had a pt refer to the doc as a "colonologist".

That's actually very logical... lol

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical / Palliative/ Hospice.

You guys are cracking me up with your quotes... I don't think I have read one about "OldsTimers" disease (Alzheimers). I worked with a nurse once who pronounced it like that. A little piece of my soul died every time she said it.

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Specializes in MICU.
O neg?

Yes :)

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Specializes in Public Health.

Speaking of Alzheimer's. When I was a child I remember asking my great grandmother if she had "old timers disease" lol I mean the term isn't exactly illogical. Haha

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Specializes in ICU.
This wasn't a mispronounciation but it was still pretty funny. When I was a student I found a diagnosis of hyperpotassemia instead of hyperkalemia. The kicker was, it had a diagnosis code and everything!!

Hyperpotassemia = hyperkalemia:)

fent-uh-nil vs. fent-uh-nell vs. fent-nil?? I'm not even sure which way is right!

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Specializes in OB.
SeattleJess said:
? Post-natal bags! For keeping the placenta as a souvenir?

I guess that's what you need if you are planning a lotus birth! (Don't look it up if you have a weak stomach!)

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Okay, I have a question for y'all, now that we're on the topic. How do you pronounce "diabetes"? I had one of our (non-clinical) health educators say that she thought the way I said it was "cute" - I say it like "die-uh-BEE-dus" - how do you all say it?

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Dilaudid is definitely winning the I-can't-say-this-word contest.

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