# What's the origin of "Stat?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2000, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981 "2000-09-29T05:42:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/1 "2000-09-29T05:42:12Z")
I’m sure this has been asked somewhere before. If not, I will. What does stat mean? I’ve asked everyone I know, I’ve asked medical professionals and no one can give me a satisfactory answer. Scratch that. First they look at me like I’m an idiot and say “It means ‘now.’” I roll my eyes and say “I know that but what does it mean? Is it short for anything? Does it come from Statitius, the really fast Greek God? Why don’t they just say now! It’s less letters you know.” Ultimately, they shrug their shoulders, say they don’t know, and leave it at that. Well I’m not leaving it at that. I wanna know! Allow me to go to sleep in peace tonight. ---
**Author:** ![LittleStar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/0ea827/32.png) [@LittleStar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LittleStar)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/2 "2000-09-29T05:45:28Z")
Hmm…Almost looks like “star”… Well, wherever the heck it comes from, Ashie approves! (sticks arms up in the air) It’s good!!! ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/3 "2000-09-29T05:51:48Z")
From [http://www.dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com) > [@](#): > > stat2 > adv. > > ``` > With no delay; at once. > > ``` > > adj. > > ``` > Immediate: “Next I want a stat EKG and a chest film” (David Shobin). > > ``` > > [Short for Latin statim; see sta in Indo-European Roots.] ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/4 "2000-09-29T12:25:26Z")
from [http://www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) Main Entry: stat Function: abbreviation Latin _statim_ immediately; statute ---
**Author:** ![Perderabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Perderabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perderabo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/5 "2000-09-29T12:44:26Z")
And here is a mailbag entry: [Why do doctors say “stat”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mstat.html). ---
**Author:** ![MJH2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@MJH2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJH2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/6 "2000-09-29T13:20:09Z")
… which is not to be confused with the Latin-derived editor’s mark, _stet_ which means “let it stand”. Strictly speaking, since “stat” is the abbreviation of _statim_, shouldn’t it be written “stat.”, the way _etc._, _et al._ are? Because _stat_ itself means “he/she/it stands” in Latin. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/7 "2000-09-29T13:52:16Z")
It’s really quite simple. When you issue a command and include “stat,” you’re really saying: “Perform this task! With a quantity of excess hustle that is **stat** istically significant!” ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/8 "2000-09-29T14:34:32Z")
Thanks all for your responses. I can now go to bed. I’m at work now, but that never stopped me before. So stat is an abbriviation of Statim, which means immediately. So does that mean stat really means immed (I’m med)? Is that a subtle way for doctors to remind people how important they are in a random subconscience sort of way? ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/9 "2000-09-29T14:47:08Z")
I went to the mailbag link. I disagree that “now” has the same meaning as “stat”. I drive an ambulance, and so with only two of us typically on a call, the use of “Stat” would be boldfaced posturing to impress the family ( hence, the lack of use of fancypants words like that). When it’s a heavy duty call, and we are amongst a group of 5-8 professionals, some of whom are Paramedics, you betcha things change. If I’m told to get something, I get it. If I’m told to get it Stat, I run so fast that the local police better get the fuck out of my way. It’s used to impart extreme urgency WITHOUT letting panic/fear/tension/adrenaline be heard in the voice of the speaker. It’s not used lightly, at least where I do my thing. In fact, the ONLY time I’ve heard it used in the field is when a patient who seemed stable enough crashed, and went into arrhythmia, and I ran- RAN- for the Defibrillator. ( Didn’t matter. She died). As for the O.P.? I’m calling our local Level One Trauma Center, and asking around. Someone will know. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![MJH2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@MJH2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJH2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/10 "2000-09-29T17:11:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cartooniverse \* > \*\* I went to the mailbag link. I disagree that “now” has the same meaning as “stat”… If I’m told to get something, I get it. If I’m told to get it Stat … It’s used to impart extreme urgency WITHOUT letting panic/fear/tension/adrenaline be heard in the voice of the speaker. \*\* This doesn’t necessarily mean that the medical term “stat” does not have its origin from the Latin _statim_. Like so many borrowed foreign words, it may not be used in exactly the same way in both languages. Perhaps “stat” was deliberately chosen, based on the Latin word for “now”. As you explain, it’s the equivalent of shouting “NOW-now” without actually having to do so; to convey this, you’d obviously want to use a “stand-out” word, one which could not be mistaken for a normal, conversational word – in any frequently-encountered language. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/11 "2000-09-29T17:26:53Z")
I’m an RN and have worked in a hospital setting for 16 years. I am always amused when I watch ER and such by the casual use of the word STAT. ie get me a latte stat. Where I work, it had better be a dire emergencey and not already implied by the situation or you will be ridiculed for a long time. You’ll be asked to take someone a bedpan STAT, get so & so a drink of water STAT, take your lunch break STAT, ad nauseum. If it is during a code blue, EVERYTHING is already STAT. To say get me an airway stat is from the department of redundancy department. In fact the most usual use is for the ordering of tests, etc when communicating with ancillary departments. I need an ekg Stat is acceptable, I need a general diet in room 242 Stat is not. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-stat/34981/12 "2000-09-29T18:20:02Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by mojo57 \* > \*\* Where I work, it had better be a dire emergencey and not already implied by the situation or you will be ridiculed for a long time_\* Thanks for the confirmation, mojo 😃 ``` The key words from your post were "not already implied". As I said, it's only really used even in the field, when something goes amiss with a patient, and before that patient is in the back of the ambulance. Otherwise, it's just Hollywood Hooey. ``` Hand me those Metzenbaum’s, it’s going to get ugly. ``` Cartooniverse ```