Friday, September 12, 2008

ER Vocabulary Lesson

hot mess [hot•mess] -noun

1. When one looks terrible, or acts in such a way to make them unpleasant to be around.

2. A boisterous and uncooperative patient, often brought to the ER against their will as a result of self-destructive behavior, who inevitably creates a scene while trying to leave.

-ex. That hot mess who crashed her car into a semi-truck while doped up on Percocets just received some Narcan and is now screaming, swearing, spitting, ripping out her IV, and, oh yeah, stripping her gown off and running down the hallway naked.

-Antonym: The 54 year old female with recently-diagnosed leukemia complaining of severe abdominal pain and headache stuck in the room next to the hot mess.

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