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( patient ) "going south"

English translation: (patient) getting worse

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:( patient ) "going south"
Selected answer:(patient) getting worse
Entered by: Michael Powers (PhD)

22:51 Jun 23, 2009
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Medical - Medical (general) / folklore / institutional memory
English term or phrase: ( patient ) "going south"
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.
Allda
Local time: 00:56
(paatient) getting worse
Explanation:
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 :)
Selected response from:

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 18:56
Grading comment
thank you, Mike!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +10(paatient) getting worse
Michael Powers (PhD)


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +10
(paatient) getting worse


Explanation:
Mike :)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2009-06-23 22:56:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2009-06-23 23:17:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days18 hrs (2009-06-26 17:34:37 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

My pleasure, Alida - Mike :)

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 18:56
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 27
Grading comment
thank you, Mike!
Notes to answerer
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 ...

Asker: 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 comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
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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