Monday, June 10, 2013

That's why they call it a "blood gas"

Apparently, calling it "Arterial pH" used too many letters...


10 comments:

  1. Confucius say, now with certainty: "Phart IS anal."

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had occasion to require inpatient care at my local hospital last month, and a sign invited patients or visiting family members who had concerns about the patient experiencing things like trouble breathing or chest pains to contact the "Family Activated Rapid Response Team." They at least had the good sense not to reduce that to an acronym.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would giggle at this everytime I went to go see a blood gas - I intentionally TRY to find someone with it JUST so that I can laugh!

    Awesomeness!

    ReplyDelete
  4. On the subject of good acronyms:

    Emergency Medical Unit+rural Australian hospital=nurses putting up Big Bird posters.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Where else is your abg going to come from?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Apparently this sort of irresponsibility is deliberately inflicted upon the medical community, as in SNOT, the sino-nasal outcome test. The poor ENT doc I transcribe for has to dictate this with a straight "face" (voice, actually).

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mark of an intensivist...my first reaction was to wonder why the patient is hyperventilating.

    ReplyDelete

So wadda you think?