Irreverant emergency department slang.
Considered unprofessional, as with many other informal terms, although a certain amount of
gallows humour is a common part of emergency medical practice, used as a coping mechanism for severely traumatic experiences.
F**ked up beyond all recovery, but
unfortunately not dead yet.
Used to refer to a mortally-injured patient who has no chance of survival but is still clinging to life by a thread. The job of the ED staff here is to ensure that the person's last minutes/hours are as
comfortable and as dignified as possible.
