Steve Scalise Is In 'Critical' Condition. Here's What That Means.

When House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) was shot in the hip Wednesday after a gunman opened fire on Republican congressmen at a baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, the hospital that treated him released a report saying the bullet travelled across his pelvis, fracturing bones, injuring internal organs, and causing severe bleeding.

Scalise underwent immediate surgery and received a blood transfusion. The hospital said in a statement on Thursday that the Congressman underwent additional surgery that day. His condition had improved, but remained critical.

Matt Mika, a former congressional staffer and director of government relations for Tyson Foods Washington, D.C., office, was shot twice in the chest. His condition was also marked as critical and later changed to serious.

#AlexandriaShooting victim Matt Mika condition upgraded from critical to serious per GW hospital @ABC7News

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#AlexandriaShooting victim Matt Mika condition upgraded from critical to serious per GW hospital @ABC7News
Brad Bell (@ABC7Brad) June 15, 2017

But what do those conditions mean, exactly?

For starters, those patient conditions are doctor shorthand, used primarily for medical professionals to convey information about a patients general health status to relatives or the news media, while complying with patient medical information privacy laws.

The American Hospital Association recommends using the following one-word descriptions of patients general condition:

Undetermined: Patient awaiting physician assessment.
Good: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.
Fair: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.
Serious: Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.
Critical: Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.

Still, Dr. Renee Hsia, director of health policy studies at University of California, San Francisco, said not to overthink the two more urgent descriptions.

I wouldnt read too much into the differences between critical and serious she told HuffPost.

Many physicians who use that are not necessarily trying to distinguish between one or the other.

This reporting is brought to you by HuffPosts health and science platform, The Scope. Like us on Facebook and Twitter and tell us your story: scopestories@huffingtonpost.com .