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to release possession
it was soon to be brought into a particular relationship

Glossary entry

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
Change log

Jun 26, 2009 17:35: Michael Powers (PhD) Created KOG entry

Discussion

Allda (asker) Jun 23, 2009:
The author is also talking about "salience" heuristic. "Judgement is often biased by the 'salience' heuristic, in which conspicuous or dramatic events are easily recalled."
Allda (asker) Jun 23, 2009:
Bernhard, looks like you've got this article ;)) I'll quote a sentence from the same passage: "By telling a compelling story, it becomes more likely that the story will be recalled when a person needs to retrieve relevant information"
Bernhard Sulzer Jun 23, 2009:
code Since you asked in response to Michael's answer - the reason could be that such a crude phrase might have a strong effect on the memory of the person who is told that the patient went south (poss. died); that person will remember the phrase connected to the "story" and more easily remember the seriousness of the case when they come across the same situation. I guess as a code or strong warning for one's memory it is an excusable phrase. The only excuse really. Because it is used in a scientific article for doctors. But I am not a doctor.

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 :)
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
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 :)
agree Sabine Akabayov, PhD
13 mins
Thank you, sibsab - Mike :)
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
Interesting observation, jccantrell - Mike :)
agree Richard McDorman
18 mins
Thank you, Richard - Mike :)
agree Pham Huu Phuoc
2 hrs
Thank you, Pham - Mike :)
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
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
agree Alp Berker
5 hrs
Thank you, Alp - Mike :)
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
Nice examples, Gary - Mike :)
agree Samantha Payn
8 hrs
Thank you, Samantha - Mike :)
agree lauragbrown
1 day 4 hrs
Thank you, Laura - Mike :)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thank you, Mike!"
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