Nomenclature question: what do you call it if someone has an elevated PaCO2?
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Medically they are synonyms. Both terms - hyperCAPNia & hyperCARBia - *mean* the same thing: having an increased PaCO2.
But the difference is a really big deal if you are a linguist.
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But the difference is a really big deal if you are a linguist.
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Etymologically, there is a (silly) difference:
Hypercapnia comes from the Greek word hyper (high) + the Greek word kapnos (smoke); both Greek roots 👍
Hypercapnia comes from the word Greek hyper + the *Latin* word Carbos (meaning charcoal); 1 Greek + 1 Latin root 👎
🤷
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Hypercapnia comes from the Greek word hyper (high) + the Greek word kapnos (smoke); both Greek roots 👍
Hypercapnia comes from the word Greek hyper + the *Latin* word Carbos (meaning charcoal); 1 Greek + 1 Latin root 👎
🤷
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So saying hypercarbia is a linguist faux pas the likes of using the wrong salad fork. Who cares?
Well … it might be better to say hypercapnia just to avoid someone tendentiously correcting you - or writing a letter to the editor.
H/t @doc_BLocke for the example!
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Well … it might be better to say hypercapnia just to avoid someone tendentiously correcting you - or writing a letter to the editor.
H/t @doc_BLocke for the example!
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https://twitter.com/doc_blocke/status/1591190629283160065
Ugh typo. Second one should say hypercarbia.
(FYI When I post this 🧵on #medmastodon there’s an edit button!)
(FYI When I post this 🧵on #medmastodon there’s an edit button!)
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