That’s what is considered standard hospital procedure. Then there are all the slang codes used by staff. I guess it is like pig-latin, once you start it just keeps going. These are just for patients:
Frequent Flyer / Frequent Fliers: A patient who returns to the ER frequently, often for non-emergency issues.
Gork (or Gorked): A patient who is comatose, neurologically devastated, or in a persistent vegetative state.
GOMER: Acronym for "Get Out of My Emergency Room." Refers to patients, often elderly, with chronic, incurable, or complex conditions that are frequently admitted and hard to "fix".
Crock: A patient who complains of many symptoms but has no organic disease (often implies hypochondria).
Walkie-Talkie: A patient who is functional, ambulatory, and able to communicate, requiring minimal assistance.
Beemer: A patient with a high body mass index (BMI).
Yellow Submarine: An obese patient with jaundice caused by liver failure.
FOOBA: "Found on Orthopedics, Barely Alive." A patient who had a joint replacement but developed critical, unrelated, internal complications.
Trainwreck: A patient with multiple, severe, and complex, concurrent medical problems.
Princess/Prince/Diva: A demanding patient who uses the call bell constantly for minor requests.
Sundowner/Sundowning: A patient (usually with dementia) who becomes confused, agitated, and combative, typically in the evening.
Swallower: A psychiatric patient who has ingested dangerous objects or substances.
FLK: "Funny Looking Kid." Slang used by pediatric staff to refer to a child with dysmorphic features suggesting a syndrome.
There are many more terms - for staff, for procedures, and so on. And at the end of this extensive list?
Disclaimer: Many of these terms are considered pejorative or unprofessional and are used behind closed doors to cope with stress rather than in direct patient care.
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