From beemer to cockroach, examples of medical slang abound

From “The Secret Language of Doctors,” here is a partial list of slang terms used by some medical professionals in Canadian and U.S. hospitals:

Status dramaticus: A patient who loudly and dramatically magnifies symptoms to get quicker medical attention.

Horrendoma: Refers to a horrendous medical condition.

Beemer: A patient with a high body mass index (BMI), obese.

Yellow submarine: An obese patient with jaundice caused by cirrhosis of the liver.

Swallower: A term used for certain psychiatric patients.

Frequent flyer, cockroach: A person who turns up repeatedly at the emergency department with a variety of ailments.

FOOBA (Found on orthopedics barely alive): A patient who has had a joint operation, but has developed heart failure or another critical internal condition not recognized by the orthopedic surgeon.

GOMER (Get out of my emergency room): A patient frequently admitted to hospital with incurable conditions.

Circling the drain, PBAB (pine box at bedside): A patient who can’t be saved and death is imminent.

Hanging crepe: Preparing family that patient is dying and cannot be saved.

Discharged to God or discharged to heaven: Patient has died.