I know this is insane, but why do they say "G.S.W.," which is five syllables instead of "Gunshot wound," which is three?

-- Sue (NDASue@hotmail.com), February 27, 2000

Answers

I don't spend much time around ED's but maybe they say GSW so as not to gross out bystanders in the corridor who are just passing by? (Or so as to not seem to be shouting out confidential information about a patient's situation, though most people could probably figure out what a GSW was if they heard a doc say it) I could be wrong though...

-- nancy (tbc@po.cwru.edu), February 27, 2000.

It could be that G.S.W. was used when filling out forms and stuff, so they just started saying it too.

-- dustin (dweiskopf@hotmail.com), February 27, 2000.

When the cause of admission is written out on the forms in the ER and in admitting later --it is quicker to write GSW than gunshot wound and so when it is spoken, many times the peeps just use the same lingo as the written word.

-- joan (joanofarc24@hotmail.com), February 27, 2000.