Medical Jargon, you shut your mouth when you're talking to me!
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Phil D
May 27, 2012, 5:00:38 PM5/27/12
to CEHPEA2012
Hey all, so I remember in are small groups we all had a tendency to
you medical jargon. One thing I find helpful in deciding what’s
medical jargon and what’s not is by asking different members of my
family if they know what particular terms mean, and to ask them to
explain it to me! I’ve listed a variety of medical terms and concepts
and ways of I've used to explain them and have been found it to be
effective. If you have any others to add please feel free, and if you
could care less about this post because you're on vacation somewhere
amazing while someone like me is trying to get the infinite amount of
forms ready for residency... then I hate you
This list will be updated, if you have any great ideas to add please
message me!
Anemia – low red blood cells
abdominal - belly, tummy, stomach
Leukocytosis – increased white count – THIS IS MEDICAL JARGON! I will
say
“we have red cells for holding oxygen and helping us breath, and white
cells to fight infection, when the white cells are up it usually means
there is still infection going on” – keep in mind this is in the
context of a patient with infection!
X-ray – a picture
CT scan, MRI etc – a detailed picture
INR – a way of looking how thin your blood is, when someone’s heart
doesn’t have a good rythyme, if there blood isn’t thin it can form
clots
DVT – clots in your leg
PE – clot in your lung
Pneumothorax – air in your chest where it shouldn’t be, drawing a
picture and showing how air should not be in the pleural space has
been effective for me
How do you explain atrial fibrillation?
I explain that the heart has a top and a bottom part (DO NOT SAY ATRIA
AND VENTRICLE on your first explanation, this will be confusing), I
use my hands to show how the top squeezes, then the bottom, and I
explain how the top stops beating regularly
Hyperlipidemia – high cholesterol is acceptable
Hypertension – high blood pressure
Abdominal – belly
i.e. “we need to do an abdominal CT” should be “we need to take a
picture of your belly”
GERD – reflux of stomach acid
Esophagus – eating tube, you’d be surprised how many people do NOT
know what this is, but will never ask you
Trachea – breathing tube
If you see a spot on an X-ray, and it looks suspicious, you can call
it a growth instead of tumor, or cancer while you are waiting for a
biopsy.
Stroke – a decrease in blood to the brain, it can’t breathe
What does a beta blocker do?
It slows yours heart down so it can breathe easily
HCTZ, LASIX – water pills is fine, so for the patient who is having
trouble remember their meds “are you on any water pills for high blood
pessure?”
When inquiring if the patient sees a cardiology, gastroenterology,
opthamologist, etc. best to ask “do you/have you seen a heart doctor,
stomach doctor, eye doctor, etc.”
Sputum – this is weird, they may say no because they don’t know what
you’re talking about, ask “when you cough does stuff come up?”
Pus- call it white stuff (in the right context of course)
Explaining colonoscopy?
The day before you will drink liquid that will clear your bowels, then
you will be given medication to make you sleep, while you’re a sleep
they will use a thin camera to look at your colon and see what’s going
on, you won’t remember a thing
What do you say to the 94 year old moderately demented patient who
comes in with pneumonia?
You can tell her that you’re going to give her medicine to make her
feel better.
Cholecystectomy – take out your gallbladder, this is the same for
appendectomy, hysterectomy, etc., don’t use jargon!
How do you explain fecal occult blood?
“I need to make sure you’re not bleeding inside, I need to put a
finger in your bum, it will only take a second. After we can test to
see if there is even a tiny amount of blood inside, even if we can't
see it".
EKG – a way of looking at the electricity of your heart
Echocardiogram – a picture of your heart
you medical jargon. One thing I find helpful in deciding what’s
medical jargon and what’s not is by asking different members of my
family if they know what particular terms mean, and to ask them to
explain it to me! I’ve listed a variety of medical terms and concepts
and ways of I've used to explain them and have been found it to be
effective. If you have any others to add please feel free, and if you
could care less about this post because you're on vacation somewhere
amazing while someone like me is trying to get the infinite amount of
forms ready for residency... then I hate you
This list will be updated, if you have any great ideas to add please
message me!
Anemia – low red blood cells
abdominal - belly, tummy, stomach
Leukocytosis – increased white count – THIS IS MEDICAL JARGON! I will
say
“we have red cells for holding oxygen and helping us breath, and white
cells to fight infection, when the white cells are up it usually means
there is still infection going on” – keep in mind this is in the
context of a patient with infection!
X-ray – a picture
CT scan, MRI etc – a detailed picture
INR – a way of looking how thin your blood is, when someone’s heart
doesn’t have a good rythyme, if there blood isn’t thin it can form
clots
DVT – clots in your leg
PE – clot in your lung
Pneumothorax – air in your chest where it shouldn’t be, drawing a
picture and showing how air should not be in the pleural space has
been effective for me
How do you explain atrial fibrillation?
I explain that the heart has a top and a bottom part (DO NOT SAY ATRIA
AND VENTRICLE on your first explanation, this will be confusing), I
use my hands to show how the top squeezes, then the bottom, and I
explain how the top stops beating regularly
Hyperlipidemia – high cholesterol is acceptable
Hypertension – high blood pressure
Abdominal – belly
i.e. “we need to do an abdominal CT” should be “we need to take a
picture of your belly”
GERD – reflux of stomach acid
Esophagus – eating tube, you’d be surprised how many people do NOT
know what this is, but will never ask you
Trachea – breathing tube
If you see a spot on an X-ray, and it looks suspicious, you can call
it a growth instead of tumor, or cancer while you are waiting for a
biopsy.
Stroke – a decrease in blood to the brain, it can’t breathe
What does a beta blocker do?
It slows yours heart down so it can breathe easily
HCTZ, LASIX – water pills is fine, so for the patient who is having
trouble remember their meds “are you on any water pills for high blood
pessure?”
When inquiring if the patient sees a cardiology, gastroenterology,
opthamologist, etc. best to ask “do you/have you seen a heart doctor,
stomach doctor, eye doctor, etc.”
Sputum – this is weird, they may say no because they don’t know what
you’re talking about, ask “when you cough does stuff come up?”
Pus- call it white stuff (in the right context of course)
Explaining colonoscopy?
The day before you will drink liquid that will clear your bowels, then
you will be given medication to make you sleep, while you’re a sleep
they will use a thin camera to look at your colon and see what’s going
on, you won’t remember a thing
What do you say to the 94 year old moderately demented patient who
comes in with pneumonia?
You can tell her that you’re going to give her medicine to make her
feel better.
Cholecystectomy – take out your gallbladder, this is the same for
appendectomy, hysterectomy, etc., don’t use jargon!
How do you explain fecal occult blood?
“I need to make sure you’re not bleeding inside, I need to put a
finger in your bum, it will only take a second. After we can test to
see if there is even a tiny amount of blood inside, even if we can't
see it".
EKG – a way of looking at the electricity of your heart
Echocardiogram – a picture of your heart
mahsa moeenalsadat
May 27, 2012, 6:43:55 PM5/27/12
to cehpe...@googlegroups.com
Thank you Philip.
Mahsa
> Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 14:00:38 -0700
> Subject: Medical Jargon, you shut your mouth when you're talking to me!
> From: phili...@gmail.com
> To: cehpe...@googlegroups.com
Mahsa
> Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 14:00:38 -0700
> Subject: Medical Jargon, you shut your mouth when you're talking to me!
> From: phili...@gmail.com
> To: cehpe...@googlegroups.com
Shiraz Elkheir
May 27, 2012, 9:28:31 PM5/27/12
to cehpe...@googlegroups.com
Thanks a lot Phil, that is a great idea to test on the family.
On another note, I checked the Telus plan for OMA members. It does look sweet but has some catches:
1. It's a very binding three years contract.
2. It comes to about 60 dollars a month before tax
3. International text messages not included
I would suggest you take a look at Koodo, which is a company owned by Telus. Their canada wide plans are really nice and you get international texting included plus flexible data which charges you according to your usage, or you can go for a 2 GB monthly allowance from the start.
The best thing is that all this is canada wide, meaning that you can place your call from anywhere to anywhere in canada and still be charged at the local rate. Moreover, there is no contract and you can modify or cancel your plan at any time !
I am with them since last December. I won't be getting a commission if any of you joins !
Shiraz Elkheir
On another note, I checked the Telus plan for OMA members. It does look sweet but has some catches:
1. It's a very binding three years contract.
2. It comes to about 60 dollars a month before tax
3. International text messages not included
I would suggest you take a look at Koodo, which is a company owned by Telus. Their canada wide plans are really nice and you get international texting included plus flexible data which charges you according to your usage, or you can go for a 2 GB monthly allowance from the start.
The best thing is that all this is canada wide, meaning that you can place your call from anywhere to anywhere in canada and still be charged at the local rate. Moreover, there is no contract and you can modify or cancel your plan at any time !
I am with them since last December. I won't be getting a commission if any of you joins !
Shiraz Elkheir
Svetlana Carrigan
May 28, 2012, 8:09:17 AM5/28/12
to cehpe...@googlegroups.com, Shiraz Elkheir, cehpe...@googlegroups.com
Thank you, Shiraz!
I like the fact that kodoo is not binding like many other companies,
the only thing I have to buy my phone upright, right?
Lana
Quoting Shiraz Elkheir <drs...@yahoo.com>:
> Thanks a lot Phil, that is a great idea to test on the family.
>
> On another note, I checked the Telus plan for OMA members. It does
> look sweet but has some catches:
> 1. It's a very binding three years contract.
> 2. It comes to about 60 dollars a month before tax
> 3. International text messages not included
>
> I would suggest you take a look at Koodo, which is a company owned
> by Telus. Their canada wide plans are really nice and you get
> international texting included plus flexible data which charges you
> according to your usage, or you can go for a 2 GB monthly allowance
> from the start.
> The best thing is that all this is canada wide, meaning that you can
> place your call from anywhere to anywhere in canada and still be
> charged at the local rate. Moreover, there is no contract and you
> can modify or cancel your plan at any time !
>
> I am with them since last December. I won't be getting a commission
> if any of you joins !
>
> Shiraz Elkheir
>
> On May 27, 2012, at 5:00 PM, Phil D <phili...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hey all, so I remember in are small groups we all had a tendency to
>> you medical jargon. One thing I find helpful in deciding what?s
>> medical jargon and what?s not is by asking different members of my
>> say
>>
>> ?we have red cells for holding oxygen and helping us breath, and white
>>
>> CT scan, MRI etc ? a detailed picture
>>
>> INR ? a way of looking how thin your blood is, when someone?s heart
>> doesn?t have a good rythyme, if there blood isn?t thin it can form
>> clots
>>
>> DVT ? clots in your leg
>>
>> PE ? clot in your lung
>>
>> Pneumothorax ? air in your chest where it shouldn?t be, drawing a
>>
>> Hypertension ? high blood pressure
>>
>> Abdominal ? belly
>>
>> i.e. ?we need to do an abdominal CT? should be ?we need to take a
>> picture of your belly?
>>
>> GERD ? reflux of stomach acid
>>
>> Esophagus ? eating tube, you?d be surprised how many people do NOT
>> trouble remember their meds ?are you on any water pills for high blood
>> pessure??
>> stomach doctor, eye doctor, etc.?
>>
>> Sputum ? this is weird, they may say no because they don?t know what
>> you?re talking about, ask ?when you cough does stuff come up??
>> they will use a thin camera to look at your colon and see what?s going
>> on, you won?t remember a thing
>> feel better.
>>
>> Cholecystectomy ? take out your gallbladder, this is the same for
>> appendectomy, hysterectomy, etc., don?t use jargon!
>>
>> Echocardiogram ? a picture of your heart
>
>
I like the fact that kodoo is not binding like many other companies,
the only thing I have to buy my phone upright, right?
Lana
Quoting Shiraz Elkheir <drs...@yahoo.com>:
> Thanks a lot Phil, that is a great idea to test on the family.
>
> On another note, I checked the Telus plan for OMA members. It does
> look sweet but has some catches:
> 1. It's a very binding three years contract.
> 2. It comes to about 60 dollars a month before tax
> 3. International text messages not included
>
> I would suggest you take a look at Koodo, which is a company owned
> by Telus. Their canada wide plans are really nice and you get
> international texting included plus flexible data which charges you
> according to your usage, or you can go for a 2 GB monthly allowance
> from the start.
> The best thing is that all this is canada wide, meaning that you can
> place your call from anywhere to anywhere in canada and still be
> charged at the local rate. Moreover, there is no contract and you
> can modify or cancel your plan at any time !
>
> I am with them since last December. I won't be getting a commission
> if any of you joins !
>
> Shiraz Elkheir
>
> On May 27, 2012, at 5:00 PM, Phil D <phili...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hey all, so I remember in are small groups we all had a tendency to
>> medical jargon and what?s not is by asking different members of my
>> family if they know what particular terms mean, and to ask them to
>> explain it to me! I?ve listed a variety of medical terms and concepts
>> and ways of I've used to explain them and have been found it to be
>> effective. If you have any others to add please feel free, and if you
>> could care less about this post because you're on vacation somewhere
>> amazing while someone like me is trying to get the infinite amount of
>> forms ready for residency... then I hate you
>>
>> This list will be updated, if you have any great ideas to add please
>> message me!
>>
>> Anemia ? low red blood cells
>> effective. If you have any others to add please feel free, and if you
>> could care less about this post because you're on vacation somewhere
>> amazing while someone like me is trying to get the infinite amount of
>> forms ready for residency... then I hate you
>>
>> This list will be updated, if you have any great ideas to add please
>> message me!
>>
>>
>> abdominal - belly, tummy, stomach
>>
>> Leukocytosis ? increased white count ? THIS IS MEDICAL JARGON! I will
>> abdominal - belly, tummy, stomach
>>
>> say
>>
>> ?we have red cells for holding oxygen and helping us breath, and white
>> cells to fight infection, when the white cells are up it usually means
>> there is still infection going on? ? keep in mind this is in the
>> context of a patient with infection!
>>
>> X-ray ? a picture
>>
>>
>> CT scan, MRI etc ? a detailed picture
>>
>> INR ? a way of looking how thin your blood is, when someone?s heart
>> doesn?t have a good rythyme, if there blood isn?t thin it can form
>> clots
>>
>> DVT ? clots in your leg
>>
>> PE ? clot in your lung
>>
>> Pneumothorax ? air in your chest where it shouldn?t be, drawing a
>> picture and showing how air should not be in the pleural space has
>> been effective for me
>>
>> How do you explain atrial fibrillation?
>>
>> I explain that the heart has a top and a bottom part (DO NOT SAY ATRIA
>> AND VENTRICLE on your first explanation, this will be confusing), I
>> use my hands to show how the top squeezes, then the bottom, and I
>> explain how the top stops beating regularly
>>
>> Hyperlipidemia ? high cholesterol is acceptable
>> been effective for me
>>
>> How do you explain atrial fibrillation?
>>
>> I explain that the heart has a top and a bottom part (DO NOT SAY ATRIA
>> AND VENTRICLE on your first explanation, this will be confusing), I
>> use my hands to show how the top squeezes, then the bottom, and I
>> explain how the top stops beating regularly
>>
>>
>> Hypertension ? high blood pressure
>>
>> Abdominal ? belly
>>
>> i.e. ?we need to do an abdominal CT? should be ?we need to take a
>> picture of your belly?
>>
>> GERD ? reflux of stomach acid
>>
>> Esophagus ? eating tube, you?d be surprised how many people do NOT
>> know what this is, but will never ask you
>>
>> Trachea ? breathing tube
>>
>>
>> If you see a spot on an X-ray, and it looks suspicious, you can call
>> it a growth instead of tumor, or cancer while you are waiting for a
>> biopsy.
>>
>> Stroke ? a decrease in blood to the brain, it can?t breathe
>> If you see a spot on an X-ray, and it looks suspicious, you can call
>> it a growth instead of tumor, or cancer while you are waiting for a
>> biopsy.
>>
>>
>> What does a beta blocker do?
>>
>> It slows yours heart down so it can breathe easily
>>
>> HCTZ, LASIX ? water pills is fine, so for the patient who is having
>> What does a beta blocker do?
>>
>> It slows yours heart down so it can breathe easily
>>
>> trouble remember their meds ?are you on any water pills for high blood
>> pessure??
>>
>> When inquiring if the patient sees a cardiology, gastroenterology,
>> opthamologist, etc. best to ask ?do you/have you seen a heart doctor,
>> When inquiring if the patient sees a cardiology, gastroenterology,
>> stomach doctor, eye doctor, etc.?
>>
>> Sputum ? this is weird, they may say no because they don?t know what
>> you?re talking about, ask ?when you cough does stuff come up??
>>
>> Pus- call it white stuff (in the right context of course)
>>
>> Explaining colonoscopy?
>>
>> The day before you will drink liquid that will clear your bowels, then
>> you will be given medication to make you sleep, while you?re a sleep
>> Pus- call it white stuff (in the right context of course)
>>
>> Explaining colonoscopy?
>>
>> The day before you will drink liquid that will clear your bowels, then
>> they will use a thin camera to look at your colon and see what?s going
>> on, you won?t remember a thing
>>
>> What do you say to the 94 year old moderately demented patient who
>> comes in with pneumonia?
>>
>> You can tell her that you?re going to give her medicine to make her
>> What do you say to the 94 year old moderately demented patient who
>> comes in with pneumonia?
>>
>> feel better.
>>
>> Cholecystectomy ? take out your gallbladder, this is the same for
>> appendectomy, hysterectomy, etc., don?t use jargon!
>>
>> How do you explain fecal occult blood?
>>
>> ?I need to make sure you?re not bleeding inside, I need to put a
>> How do you explain fecal occult blood?
>>
>> finger in your bum, it will only take a second. After we can test to
>> see if there is even a tiny amount of blood inside, even if we can't
>> see it".
>>
>> EKG ? a way of looking at the electricity of your heart
>> see if there is even a tiny amount of blood inside, even if we can't
>> see it".
>>
>>
>> Echocardiogram ? a picture of your heart
>
>
ipshita kak
May 28, 2012, 3:09:54 PM5/28/12
to cehpe...@googlegroups.com
Wow! Gee thanks Phil.... That's quite an exhaustive list! I will try the same experiment on my poor unsuspecting family as well and report the results back to you guys. :)
Rory Silverberg
May 29, 2012, 8:42:51 PM5/29/12
to cehpe...@googlegroups.com
Do any of you know what CEHPEA is talking about or why they're telling
the new group that there was questionable activity in the men's
washroom in our group?
the new group that there was questionable activity in the men's
washroom in our group?
Shiraz Elkheir
May 29, 2012, 8:47:44 PM5/29/12
to cehpe...@googlegroups.com
No idea at all. What's going on? They never brought up such an issue.
Shiraz Elkheir
Sent from my iPhone.
Rory Silverberg
May 29, 2012, 8:58:09 PM5/29/12
to cehpe...@googlegroups.com
I've had a couple of people from the new group ask me about it. I
didn't realize we were up to no good in there. Maybe they have one
way mirrors in the washrooms as well ;)
didn't realize we were up to no good in there. Maybe they have one
way mirrors in the washrooms as well ;)
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