Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
( patient ) "going south"
English answer:
(patient) getting worse
Added to glossary by
Michael Powers (PhD)
Jun 23, 2009 22:51
14 yrs ago
2 viewers *
English term
( patient ) "going south"
English
Medical
Medical (general)
folklore / institutional memory
Telling co-workers a personal story of a specific patient "going south" in a narrative can provide the valuable context that will help that person recognize the diagnosis when they encounter it themselves.
Responses
4 +10 | (paatient) getting worse | Michael Powers (PhD) |
Change log
Jun 26, 2009 17:35: Michael Powers (PhD) Created KOG entry
Responses
+10
4 mins
Selected
(paatient) getting worse
Mike :)
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Note added at 5 mins (2009-06-23 22:56:51 GMT)
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getting sicker, etc. The expression is used in many fields, not just in medicine, such as "the deal went south" meaning the deal did not go through, etc.
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Note added at 26 mins (2009-06-23 23:17:43 GMT)
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Thank you for the clarification, Alida. Among colleagues I don't believe it is offensive, and in some ways is appropriate so that they can be objective and concentrate on what works and what doesn't instead of other matters.
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Note added at 2 days18 hrs (2009-06-26 17:34:37 GMT) Post-grading
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My pleasure, Alida - Mike :)
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Note added at 5 mins (2009-06-23 22:56:51 GMT)
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getting sicker, etc. The expression is used in many fields, not just in medicine, such as "the deal went south" meaning the deal did not go through, etc.
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Note added at 26 mins (2009-06-23 23:17:43 GMT)
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Thank you for the clarification, Alida. Among colleagues I don't believe it is offensive, and in some ways is appropriate so that they can be objective and concentrate on what works and what doesn't instead of other matters.
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Note added at 2 days18 hrs (2009-06-26 17:34:37 GMT) Post-grading
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My pleasure, Alida - Mike :)
Note from asker:
It's from a scientific (!) article for doctors. I wondered why the author decided to use this particular idiom. I thought it had a more specific medical meaning ... |
It's interesting that the author used this idiom as a topic heading later on, among other topics : monitoring, managing cases, philosophy. I think in a "formal" table in the topic column another word would be more approppriate, e.g. deterioration etc. |
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Bernhard Sulzer
: it's just that the empathy one would expect in this particular field, dealing with people's health, is absolutely missing with the use of this expression. :( @jc: yes, just another day at (the) hospital. If it helps future patients...as a serious warnin
9 mins
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I agree. It is very cold and shows utter lack of empathy if stated like that around family members and other loved ones; however, if it is a conversation between colleagues, it might be a coping technique to avoid becoming overwhelmed. - Mike :)
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agree |
Sabine Akabayov, PhD
13 mins
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Thank you, sibsab - Mike :)
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agree |
jccantrell
: @Berhard: It appears that this is a doctor speaking to other doctors, not within earshot of any patients. Gallows humor, so to speak.
17 mins
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Interesting observation, jccantrell - Mike :)
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agree |
Richard McDorman
18 mins
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Thank you, Richard - Mike :)
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agree |
Pham Huu Phuoc
2 hrs
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Thank you, Pham - Mike :)
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agree |
Michael Barnett
: I would not call it crude, casual perhaps. We physicians have a number of idioms for patients dying, many with an ironic or humorous element, and always stated within the profession.
5 hrs
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I agree that it is entirely appropriate within the profession. In sociolinguistics (my field of expertise) we say it depends on who says what to whom, where, why and under what circumstances. Wtih all the clarification, this is entirely appropraite speech
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agree |
Alp Berker
5 hrs
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Thank you, Alp - Mike :)
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agree |
Gary D
: Going south, getting worse, heading down under (not Australia) heading toward the rose garden, ready to be measured and boxed, one foot in and one foot out....Dry Humor in the halls of the unwell.
7 hrs
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Nice examples, Gary - Mike :)
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agree |
Samantha Payn
8 hrs
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Thank you, Samantha - Mike :)
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agree |
lauragbrown
1 day 4 hrs
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Thank you, Laura - Mike :)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thank you, Mike!"
Discussion