In the following post I said "She was electrocuted as she crawled out."
I used that word because that was the terminology the ground personnel used when we contacted them and they gave us their initial patient report. Little alarm bells went off in my head as I wrote the post, but I used the term anyway because I was too lazy to go to dictionary.com as I wrote it.
So I mislead you. Here's the dictionary.com definition(s) of "Electrocuted":
1. to kill by electricity.
2. to execute (a criminal) by electricity, as in an electric chair.
So ONCE AGAIN I WAS WRONG, and you guys read that mistake and let me get away with it. Our patient was badly injured, but she sure as heck wasn't dead!
There are fewer and fewer brain cells in this old skull, and those that remain are overworked and getting older with each new post.
SHAME ON YOU. I expect better from you guys... We're a team and you let me down!
Try to do better, okay? ;>)
6 comments:
So she was electrically injured? If it happened to me I think I would be mistakingly claiming to be electrocuted and darn lucky to be alive.
Other than a shocking experience. What would the correct words be?
Greybeard -
I love your blog...thanks for the great stories...and for the great work you and your team do!!
Bob
GB -
So, as one brain cell challenged individual to another...
What the heck do you call it when someone gets zapped by electricity, either from a downed powerline or a bolt of lightening? I've always thought of it as being electrocuted.
cjh
Alright folks, your mission- should you decide to accept, is to help find the term for having electricity pass through your body and not die.
I've looked at three dictionaries so far, and the term electrocution means electricity passing through the body resulting in that body assuming ambient temperature...
If you are "electrocuted", you die.
I'm not sure there is a one-word term that fits the scenario where an electrical current passes through the human body causing injury, but doesn't stop the heart.
I don't have access to my "boat anchor" dictionary right now, so maybe you can help?
From Wikipedia:
"Electrocution is also frequently used incorrectly to refer to any electric shock received. However, non-fatal exposure to electricity is refered to as electric shock."
GB -
Interesting, chief, but I'm still going with electrocution... because, dammit, that's what it is. Can't help it if the victim survived!
Actually, it's an interesting fine point that I never knew about.
cjh
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