Derogatory slang in the hospital setting.

In the brief exchange above, Jane and Mike’s intentions were to vent; to commiserate with one another, sharing some fairly detailed information on the challenges they face; and to bond by using “insider” terms. Here is a glossary of the slang terms that they used: • the hole: used by surgeons to describe the appearance of the operative field in an obese patient undergoing abdominal surgery, when fat has to be moved to the sides to view abdominal structures • fluffy: fat • clinic unit: 200 pounds—“three clinic units” means the patient weighs 600 pounds • Milwaukee goiter: protruding abdominal fat • vitamin C: the antibiotic ceftriaxone