Emergent basis

Question

It seems to be the fad these days, in medical circles and public security circles, to use terms like "emergent care " instead of "emergency care" and "emergent basis" instead of "emergency basis".

Maybe it makes them happy that they use an adjective like "emergent" instead what is perceived as a noun "emergency", but the problem is that "emergent" calls up ideas of a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis and has for most people, I believe, no connotation of emergency.
What should we do about this?

Posters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in Western Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis 7 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn, NY 12 years
Baltimore 26 years

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]It seems to be the fad these days, in medical circles and public security circles, to use terms like "emergent ... up ideas of a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis and has for most people, I believe, no connotation of emergency.[/nq]
I have not met this use of emergent.
Online dictionaries say of "emergent":
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/emergent

emergent /emerÂ·gent/ (e-merÒ?jent)

1. coming out from a cavity or other part.
2. pertaining to an emergency.

Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers. Â© 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

Also Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers at: http://tinyurl.com/y9mpopw
WordNet 3.0 Vocabulary Helper: emergent
http://poets.notredame.ac.jp/cgi-bin/wn?cmd=wn&word=emergent

* 1. emergent (occurring unexpectedly and requiring urgent action; "emergent repair of an aorta" )
* 2. emergent, emerging (coming into existence; "an emergent republic" )
This pdf file contains images of a PowerPoint presentation on "Best Practices for Emergent Care". It is dated May 24, 2007: http://www.qualidigm.org/uploadedFiles/Professionals/Setting/HomeHealth/Handouts-Emergent%20Care%20-Qualidigm%2005.24.07.pdf
[nq:1]What should we do about this?[/nq]
Avoid situations requiring "emergent care".

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]It seems to be the fad these days, in medical circles and public security circles, to use terms like "emergent care " instead of "emergency care" and "emergent basis" instead of "emergency basis".[/nq]
Never met it. Cites?

John Dean
Oxford

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]It seems to be the fad these days, in medical ... of "emergency care" and "emergent basis" instead of "emergency basis".[/nq]
[nq:1]Never met it. Cites?[/nq]
I can't give you a written citation, but I certainly heard this ugly usage when we had American an(a)esthesia trainees in Gloucester; this was 15-25 years ago.
Maybe it's just my limited exposure to AmE, but it does seem to me that the world of medicine is a fertile breeding-ground for such mangled English. One of my favourites occurs in an American textbook on complications of an(a)esthesia. One of the chapters concerns slow recovery from an(a)esthesia, and has the title, "Prolonged Arousal". One can see how this happened, but this phrase means something entirely different to me!
I just wonder if such things are the result of people who write in a language which was not their original primary language.

With best wishes,
Peter.

Peter Young, (BrE, RP), Consultant Anaesthetist, 1975-2004. (US equivalent: Certified Anesthesiologist)
Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK. Now happily retired. http://pnyoung.orpheusweb.co.uk

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Never met it. Cites?[/nq]
[nq:1]I can't give you a written citation, but I certainly heard this ugly usage when we had American an(a)esthesia trainees ... if such things are the result of people who write in a language which was not their original primary language.[/nq]
I can't say that I have heard it used in a medical environment, but then, I manage to avoid being in that medical world.

I can't cite individual occurrences, but I hear the "emergent" term on occasion on news reports when "the emergent situation" involves rising fears or signs of political disruption, or war. It appears to be just an alternative way of saying "breaking" or "developing" news. The meaning is that an event rising in importance above the normal level of affairs, or coming gradually into view, or beginning to impinge on our consciousness is related to (COED's) "in the process of coming into being". (Isn't it?)
Sometimes, journalists and announcers take a word and beat it to death, but I don't think this example is particularly ugly or difficult. Remember "charisma"? Now we have "teachable moments".

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]It seems to be the fad these days, in medical circles and public security circles, to use terms like "emergent ... =A0 7 years Chicago =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A06 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore =A0 =A0 =A0 26 years[/nq]
I work in healthcare and the terms "emergent care" and "urgent care" are common, although to me "emergent care" seems a bit contrived. Also, the term "emergency room" is being replaced by "emergency department", at least here in Baltimore, as they do have more than one room for emergency treatment.
"Emergent care" is when you really need to get treated immediately to avoid death or permanent bodily impairment; e.g., a bullet in the chest. "Urgent care" is when you're sick or in pain and want it taken care of quickly instead of waiting three weeks to see your primary care physician; e.g., a painful rash on your arm.
Paul

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]It seems to be the fad these days, in medical ... I was born and then lived in Western Pa. [/nq]
[nq:1]I work in healthcare and the terms "emergent care" and "urgent care" are common, although to me "emergent care" seems ... of quickly instead of waiting three weeks to see your primary care physician; e.g., a painful rash on your arm.[/nq]
Could it be that, since so many people use the "emergency" room for non-emergency conditions, a new word was needed to express a real emergency?

John Varela
Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]It seems to be the fad these days, in medical ... I was born and then lived in Western Pa. [/nq]
[nq:1]I work in healthcare and the terms "emergent care" and "urgent care"[/nq]
So is there also an urgency room?

[nq:1]are common, although to me "emergent care" seems a bit contrived. Also, the term "emergency room" is being replaced by "emergency department", at least here in Baltimore, as they do have more than one[/nq]
Hey, I'm in Baltimore too.
[nq:1]room for emergency treatment.[/nq]
I never assumed the emergency room was limited to one room anyhow. Frankly, emergency department seems not to talk about the other rooms, but all kinds of less important things, like hiring secretaries, arranging the desks, making out payroll, scheduling work hours and vacations, and having the party at the end of the year. If they want people to think of medical care, I think maybe they should stick with emergency room.
[nq:1]"Emergent care" is when you really need to get treated immediately to avoid death or permanent bodily impairment; e.g., a ... of quickly instead of waiting three weeks to see your primary care physician; e.g., a painful rash on your arm.[/nq]
This jargon may make the hospital staff happy, but when I think of emergent and emerge, I think of a groundhog in the spring, or in medical terms perhaps, a brand-new doctor emerging from medical school. I want emergency care, not emergent care. And I prefer to have experienced staff, not those who just emerged. I'm sure I'm not alone.
[nq:1]Paul[/nq]
Isn't emergent a back-formation from emergency?

Posters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in Western Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis 7 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn, NY 12 years
Baltimore 26 years

Usenet · Answer

You'll have to take my word for it. Mostly in the last 5 years dealing with medical emergency rooms they've talked about emergent care. And yesterday a former director of Domestic Security in the US referred to an emergent basis.
To me, emerging is something a groundhog does, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
[nq:2]I can't give you a written citation, but I certainly ... in a language which was not their original primary language.[/nq]
[nq:1]I can't say that I have heard it used in a medical environment, but then, I manage to avoid being ... or beginning to impinge on our consciousness is related to (COED's) "in the process of coming into being". (Isn't it?)[/nq]
I'm gld to see that some of you don't like it either.
[nq:1]Sometimes, journalists and announcers take a word and beat it to death, but I don't think this example is particularly ugly or difficult. Remember "charisma"? Now we have "teachable moments".[/nq]
And all things iconic.

Posters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in Western Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis 7 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn, NY 12 years
Baltimore 26 years

Usenet · Answer

No. Emerge, emergence and emergent all refer to grounhog-like things.

emerge, v.
....

2. To come up out of a liquid in which (the subject) has beenimmersed. Also transf. to rise from (under the surface of) the earth.

3. a. To come forth into view; to pass out, issue, from an enclosedspace, area of obscuration, etc.
b. spec. in Optics of a ray of light after passing through a lens, prism, etc.; in Astron. of a heavenly body after occultation or eclipse.

4. fig.a. To rise into notice, come forth from obscurity; also, to issue from a state of subjection, suffering, embarrassment, etc. Also said of the production of a type by such a process as evolution. ....
emergent, a. and n.

1. a. Rising out of a surrounding medium, e.g. water.b. fig. with direct reference to lit. sense.

2. a. That is in process of issuing forth.b. spec. in Astron. (see quot.); in Optics said of a ray of light after passing through a refracting medium; so also of a ray of heat. c. Science. That emerges unpredictably as the result of an evolutionary process, spec. in emergent evolution.
3. fig. a. That is in process of rising into notice.b. Of a nation: that is newly independent; of a people: that is conscious of its national identity.

4. fig. That arises from or out of something prior; consequent,derivative.

5. Casually or unexpectedly arising; not specially provided for.arch.
¶Used for ?urgent?, ?pressing?.

6. Required for emergencies.

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)

Usenet · Answer

Continuing where I accidentally finished.
emergence

1. The rising (of a submerged body) out of the water.
2. a. The process of coming forth, issuing from concealment,obscurity, or confinement. lit. and fig. (Cf. EMERGE v. 3, 4.) Also said of the result of an evolutionary process: cf. EMERGE v. 4a and EMERGENT B. 3.
b. Astron. and Optics. (Cf. EMERGE v. 3b.)

3. An unforeseen occurrence; a state of things unexpectedly arising,and demanding immediate attention.
Now replaced by EMERGENCY, which Ash in 1775 notes as ?less usual?.
¶Pressing need, urgent want: ?a sense not proper? (J.).

emergency

1. The rising of a submerged body above the surface of water;= EMERGENCE 1. Now rare.
.... (obs senses)

4. concr. a. (the ordinary mod. use): A juncture that arises or?turns up?; esp. a state of things unexpectedly arising, and urgently demanding immediate action.
All these words have Latin origins. In various senses they date back to the 1600s.

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)

Emergent basis

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