{"id":1795,"date":"2007-12-22T20:44:51","date_gmt":"2007-12-23T03:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lukeford.net\/blog\/?p=1795"},"modified":"2007-12-22T20:46:22","modified_gmt":"2007-12-23T03:34:22","slug":"demystifying-doctor-speak-old-wives-tales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lukeford.net\/blog\/?p=1795","title":{"rendered":"Demystifying doctor-speak, old wives’ tales"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the LAT<\/a>:<\/p>\n

What is a "Hasselhoff" in doctor-speak? Does eating turkey really make you unusually sleepy? Why is it better to celebrate a big victory with champagne rather than beer?<\/p>\n

Those are some of the questions addressed in the British Medical Journal’s Christmas issue, which collects some of the more arcane reports the journal received during the year.<\/p>\n

A Hasselhoff is a patient who shows up at an emergency room with an injury and a bizarre explanation, said Dr. Paul Keeley of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary in a short compendium of newly minted words used by doctors. The term comes from former "Baywatch" star David Hasselhoff’s bizarre 2006 shaving accident in which he struck his head on a chandelier; the broken glass severed four tendons and an artery in his right arm, requiring immediate surgery.<\/p>\n

Even snarkier is the term "Ringo," after Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, which refers to a member of a team who is expendable. Draw your own conclusions.<\/p>\n

Other new terms include: "disco biscuit," another name for the drug Ecstasy; "Jack Bauer," a doctor still up and working after 24 hours; and "testiculation," "the holding forth with expressive hand gestures by a consultant on a subject in which he or she has little knowledge."\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the LAT: What is a "Hasselhoff" in doctor-speak? Does eating turkey really make you unusually sleepy? Why is it better to celebrate a big victory with champagne rather than beer? Those are some of the questions addressed in the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[220],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t