# What is "stat" (E.R.)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 14, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401 "2003-03-14T18:27:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401/1 "2003-03-14T18:27:43Z")

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Ok I know what they (ER staff) mean when they say “Stat”. But is it an acronym ?(S.T.A.T.) If so what in the HEdouble-hockey-sticks does it stand for?

_Or_ is it an abreviated word (although I couldn’t imagine what it would be short for)…😕

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401/2 "2003-03-14T18:32:15Z")

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From the latin Statim, or immediatly

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401/3 "2003-03-14T18:33:34Z")

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“Stat” is short for the the Latin _statim_, “immediately.”

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**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401/4 "2003-03-14T18:34:38Z")

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I was always under the impression that it was derived from _status epilepticus_, acute continued uncontrolled seizure activity, often just referred to as “status”. When a patient is in status, you have to get the seizures stopped **NOW**. That means any drugs or equipment you need, you need right then. It takes too long to say “right now, because this patient is status.”

Of course, my impression may be totally wrong.

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**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401/5 "2003-03-14T18:43:54Z")

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Oh ok thanks…

I always wondered, especially when \* watching\* ER…

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**Author:** ![AV8R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AV8R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AV8R)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401/6 "2003-03-14T20:13:26Z")

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Here is a web page that explains “stat” and a lot of other terminology used on _ER_:

[http://www.digiserve.com/er/faq/node7.html#SECTION00076000000000000000](http://www.digiserve.com/er/faq/node7.html#SECTION00076000000000000000)

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**Author:** ![Snetho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Snetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snetho)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-stat-e-r/161401/7 "2003-03-14T23:08:03Z")

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[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mstat.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mstat.html)