Medical terminology is in a constant state of flux and I'm all for change if more concise or precise - hey it rhymes- information is provided by the new term. But what's this new fangled juxta prefix applied to anything and everything all about?
We have juxtaglomerular, juxtacortical (brain or kidney?), juxtapyloric, juxtavertebral, juxtachondral, and who knows what juxta else. In the good old days we had prefixes like peri-,circum-, or in plain speak, thereabouts. These old school terms worked very well but,perhaps lacked some of the cache of the newfangled juxta speak. However, I think the lingo from yesteryear was more straightforward and served it's purpose well.
Youngsters seem to have a preoccupation with inventing new terms to replace old school terms that have withstood the test of time. On a recent visit to the Carnegie Museum it was a shock to find all the dinosaur names unrecognizable. A taxonomic smart aleck had pulled a switheroo with all the classic dinosaur nomenclature. The venerable T. Rex (I can't spell the full name) was renamed Tarbosaurus. I think that sounds like the name of a docile creature like some delicate avian species. It certainly does not jibe with a apex predator like the T rex.
All this terminology and taxonomy malarkey calls for some harsh correction from the Oldfoolrn Institute for the Advancement of Medical Terminology. It's always nice to know the prognosis when various medical terminology terms ejaculate from the tongues of sophisticated medical banterers. It's a simple matter to tack on a suffix to the medical term to indicate prognostications.
If a good outcome is anticipated the suffix is -goodjuju which can be abbreviated GJJ. If a storm is brewing on the medical horizon and the patient is juxtaing the drain-oops I mean circling the drain, the appropriate suffix is badjuju or simply BJJ. Here is a sample: Aortic dissection BJJ or erythematous skin lesion GJJ. My system is straight forward and fun. Feel free to use the next time you are typing in a diagnosis on the EMR. Maybe if enough folks use this system it will gain traction, just like that silly Juxta prefix.
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I think that easily recognized nomenclature like yours should be considered, OFRN. I may take your thoughtful and scholarly, yet descriptive medical terms under consideration when I am tasked with clinical documentation on my next shift.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy, but I think it's a stretch calling my foolishness "scholarly."
ReplyDeleteI just learned that yesterday was an anesthetist's day of historical note as ether was first used 164 years ago. I love it when terminology stands the test of time and lasts for decades. As everyone knows that metal frame that supports the surgical drape at the anesthesia end of the table is still referred to as an "ether screen!" How cool is that and I betcha if humanity survives another century they will still be calling that thing an ether screen. Impressive indeed.