This was originally an acronym used by medical staff standing for Totally Fucked But Unfortunately Not Dead Yet. It can be used to describe a number of different types of patient:
1. Those patients who have a
long-term medical condition which requires the expenditure of a great
deal of
time, effort and resources.
2. Those patients who are quite literally dying or in a Persistent Vegetative State or PSV.
3. Those patients who, although they may have a serious medical condition, are a total pain in the ass
Believed to have started in
America, the use of this acronym has become widespread.