Using the right word or phrase to describe a specific pathologic process/patient diagnosis and/or status is important, not only within the intensive care unit team, but also when we communicate with external consultants. This is not just a question of semantics. Using incorrect terms can lead to misunderstanding and even to incorrect therapeutic decisions. For example, it is not uncommon to see clinicians examining an edematous patient, saying that the patient has “fluid overload” or “hypervolemia” or both and proposing fluid restriction and/or diuretics as the logical strategy, when often during the acute phases of resuscitation from circulatory shock this approach may be inappropriate.

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