Medical Transcription

VIRGULES

2011-01-20T00:13:00.000-08:00

VIRGULES ("/" -- slashes)... 4 mL/kg per day -not- 4 mL/kg/day

Per the AAMT BOS:

virgule (/)

The virgule, also known as diagonal, slant line, slash, solidus, is used for a variety

of purposes.

alternatives

Virgules are often used to express equivalent alternatives. However, this

construction can often be avoided by the use of and or or.

a yes or no vote
preferred to a yes/no vote

The and/or construction is particularly awkward and can be remedied in

the following manner.

We are considering surgery or chemotherapy, or both.
preferred to We are considering surgery and/or chemotherapy.

per

To express per with a virgule, there must be at least one specific numeric quantity, and the element immediately on each side of the virgule must be

either a specific numeric quantity or a unit of measurement.

Do not use a virgule when a unit of measure does not have an acceptable abbreviated form, when a prepositional phrase intervenes between the

elements between per, or when a nontechnical phrase is used.

Sed rate: 52 mm/h
120 beats per minute not 120 beats/min
She takes 5 mg of Valium per day. not She takes 5 mg of Valium/day.
She weighs in 3 days per week. not She weighs in 3 d/wk.

Avoid using more than one virgule per expression to reduce clutter and enhance readability.

4 mL/kg per minute not 4 mL/kg/min

Exception: It is very common in cancer protocols to use two virgules in an expression of a dosage.

The patient was begun on a lymphoma protocol that included doxorubicin 25 mg/m2/day on days 1 and 15...

Do not abbreviate English units of time except in virgule constructions and tables. Do not use periods with such abbreviations.

The patient is 5 days old.
He will return in 3 weeks for followup.
40 mm/h

In virgule constructions (and tables), use the following abbreviations from the SI (International System of Units). Note that no periods are used.

minute -- use min
hour – use h
day – use d
week – use wk
month – use mo
year – use y

DICTATE IT TERMS

2011-01-19T23:41:00.000-08:00

S.No	Incorrect	Correct
1	abridgment	abridgement
2	age related	age-related
3	airplane	aeroplane
4	although,	although
5	aluminum	aluminium
6	anemia	anaemia
7	anesthesia	anaesthesia
8	anesthetic	anaesthetic
9	anesthetise	anaesthetise
10	apnea	apnoea
11	apologize	apologize
12	arbor	arbour
13	archeology	archaelogy
14	armor	armour
15	behavior	behaviour
16	behavioral	behavioural
17	bisulfate	bisulphate
18	caliber	calibre
19	caliper	calliper
20	canceled	cancelled
21	catalog	catalogue
22	center	centre
23	centerboard	centreboard
24	centerfold	centrefold
25	Cesarean	Caesarean
26	channeled	channelled
27	chili	chilli
28	cigaret	cigarette
29	color	colour
30	councilor	councillor
31	criticize	criticise
32	curb	kerb
33	deviled	devilled
34	deviling	devilling
35	diarrhea	diarrhoea
36	disheveled	dishevelled
37	disk	disc
38	diskal	discal
39	diskotomy	discotomy
40	disulfide	disulphide
41	draft	draught
42	draftsman	draughtsman
43	dysesthesia	dysaesthesia
44	dyspnea	dyspnoea
45	edema	oedema
46	encyclopedia	encyclopaedia
47	endeavor	endeavour
48	enology	oenology
49	enroll	enrol
50	enrollment	enrolment
51	esophageal	oesophageal
52	esophagitis	oesophagitis
53	esophagogastroduodenoscopy	oesophagogastroduodenoscopy
54	esophagoscope	oesophagoscope
55	esophagostomy	oesophagostomy
56	esophagus	oesophagus
57	estradiol	oestradiol
58	estrogen	oestrogen
59	estrus	oestrus
60	etiology	aetiology
61	ex-patients	x patients
62	favor	favour
63	favorite	favourite
64	fecal	faecal
65	feces	faeces
66	fetal	foetal
67	fetus	foetus
68	fiber	fibre
69	flavor	flavour
70	focused	focussed
71	focusing	focussing
72	fueled	fuelled
73	fueling	fuelling
74	full time	full-time
75	funduscopy	fundoscopy
76	glamor	glamour
77	glycemia	glycaemia
78	goiter	goitre
79	gonorrhea	gonorrhoea
80	gray	grey
81	gynecologist	gynaecologist
82	gynecology	gynaecology
83	harbor	harbour
84	hemangioma	haemangioma
85	hematocrit	haematocrit
86	hematoma	haemotoma
87	hemoglobin	haemoglobin
88	hemophilia	haemophilia
89	hemorrhage	haemorrhage
90	hemorrhoid	haemorrhoid
91	homeopathy	homoeopathy
92	honor	honour
93	hosteler	hosteller
94	humor	humour
95	hypercholesterolemia	hypercholesterolaemia
96	hyperesthesia	hyperaesthesia
97	hyperglycemia	hyperglycaemia
98	hypoglycemia	hypoglycaemia
99	installment	instalment
100	instill	instil
101	ischemia	ischaemia
102	jeweler	jeweller
103	jewelery	jewellery
104	judgment	judgement
105	kidnaped	kidnapped
106	kidnaper	kidnapper
107	kidnaping	kidnapping
108	left handed	left-handed
109	leukemia	leukaemia
110	leveled	levelled
111	leveling	levelling
112	lipidemia	lipidaemia
113	liter	litre
114	liters	litres
115	long standing	longstanding
116	maneuver	manoeuvre
117	marveled	marvelled
118	marveling	marvelling
119	marvelous	marvellous
120	meager	meagre
121	menorrhea	menorrhoea
122	metaled	metalled
123	metaling	metalling
124	meter	metre
125	millimeter	millimetre
126	misjudgment	misjudgement
127	modeled	modelled
128	modeling	modelling
129	mold	mould
130	molding	moulding
131	Ms.	Miss
132	mustache	moustache
133	neighbor	neighbour
134	neighborhood	neighborhood
135	neighborly	neighbourly
136	neuron	neurone
137	nevi	naevi
138	niter	nitre
139	odor	odour
140	orthopedic	orthopaedic
141	orthopnea	orthopnoea
142	paneled	panelled
143	paneling	panelling
144	panelist	panellist
145	paresthesia	paraesthesia
146	parlor	parlour
147	part time	part-time
148	pediatrician	paediatrician
149	pediatrics	paediatrics
150	plow	plough
151	prof.	professor
152	program	programme
153	pupilage	pupillage
154	pupilary	pupillary
155	quarreled	quarrelled
156	quarreling	quarrelling
157	reveled	revelled
158	reveling	revelling
159	right handed	right-handed
160	rigor	rigour
161	rumor	rumour
162	savior	saviour
163	skillful	skilful
164	specialty	specaility
165	splendor	splendour
166	sulfate	sulphate
167	sulfide	sulphide
168	sulfur	sulphur
169	theater	theatre
170	tire	tyre
171	titer	titre
172	traveled	travelled
173	traveling	travelling
174	trisulfate	trisulphate
175	tumor	tumour
176	up stairs	upstairs
177	valor	valour
178	vapor	vapour
179	well being	wellbeing
180	whiskey	whisky
181	will	would
182	willful	wilful
183	woolen	woollen
184	worshiped	worshipped
185	worshiper	worshipper
186	worshiping	worshipping

FOLLOWUP VS. FOLLOW-UP VS. FOLLOW UP

2009-07-31T13:18:00.001-07:00

Followup (noun -- and sometimes an adjective) -- Transcribed as one word

The patient will have home health followup for more...

He was seen in followup for his broken wrist...

Follow-up (adjective) -- Transcribed hyphenated (the hyphen is no longer necessary; it is acceptable, but not the preferred way of transcribing it according to the AAMT BOS. However on Cook since they want limited hyphens, we type the adjective 'followup' as one word.)

He will return for a followup visit... On accounts other than Cook, it would be okay to transcribe, 'He will return for a follow-up visit…'

He was given a followup appointment.... On accounts other than Cook, it would be okay to transcribe, 'He was given a followup appointment…'

Follow up (verb) – Transcribed as two words, no hyphen

The patient will follow up after....

The patient will follow up on Tuesday...

The patient will follow up with her PMC...

He will follow up in two weeks....

TIP: The check yourself with the above terms, try saying the phrase with an "s" on the word "follow" (i.e., she follows up). It doesn't make sense to say "she comes in for a follows-up visit" – it must be she comes in for a follow-up visit. It doesn't make sense to say "the patient follows up will be in three weeks" – it must be the patient's followup will be in three weeks, right? However, it does make sense to say "she follows up in three weeks" – in this case two words would be correct because it is used as a verb.

You can use the above tip for similar terms such as "workup vs. work up vs. work-up" and "makeup vs. make-up vs. make up," etc.

***********************

Followup or follow up?

In a sentence, if you want to find out whether followup is one word or two, just try to putting an "a" before "followup". If it is grammatically correct with the "a", then followup should be one word. Now let's see how it works:

Example #1: The patient will ?followup/follow up? in my clinic in 2 weeks.

Ask yourself, does this make sense?

· The patient will a followup in my clinic in 2 weeks!!!

No…so here it should be "follow up" (two words)

Example #2: The patient is to have followup with Dr. Jones.

Ask yourself, does this make sense?

· The patient is to have a followup with Dr. Jones.

FOLLOWUP VERSUS FOLLOW UP

Followup (Noun/Adjective)

Follow up (Verb)

The patient has a followup appointment next week.

Followup will be in my office to remove staples.

We will have a followup CT scan to ensure there is no growth.

The patient will follow up to have her staples removed.

We are going to follow up her tumor to ensure there is no growth.

FOLLOWUP VS. FOLLOW UP

2009-07-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Followup (noun or adjective) -- Transcribed as one word

The patient will have home health followup for more...
He will return for a followup visit...
He was soon in followup for his broken wrist...
He was given a followup appointment....

Follow up (verb) – Transcribed as two words, no hyphen (the hyphen is no longer necessary; it is acceptable, but not the preferred way of transcribing it according to the AAMT BOS)

The patient will follow up after....
The patient will follow up on Tuesday...
The patient will follow up with her PMC...
He will follow up in two weeks....

TIP: The check yourself with the above terms, try saying the phrase with an "s" on the word "follow" (i.e., she follows up). It doesn't make sense to say "she comes in for a follows up visit" – it must be she comes in for a followup visit. It doesn't make sense to say "the patient follows up will be in three weeks" – it must be the patient's followup will be in three weeks, right? However, it does make sense to say "she follows up in three weeks" – in this case two words would be correct because it is used as a verb.

You can use the above tip for similar terms such as "workup vs. work up" and "makeup vs. make up," etc.

CONFUSING WORDS

2009-07-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

CONFUSING WORD PAIRS

accede: stick to agreement exceed: surpass	accept: receive except: exclude	adapt: adjust adept: proficient
adverse: opposed averse: not interested	affect: change, influence effect: (v) to bring about (n) result, impression	all right: all right alright: outdated usage
allude: refer to indirectly elude: avoid	altar: place of worship alter: to change	appraise: value apprise: inform, notify
capital:seat of government; money capitol: building where legislative body meets	complement:something that completes (noun); to complete (verb). compliment: a flattering remark (noun); to praise (verb)	continual: happens frequently in time: close succession continuous: uninterrupted
emigration: moving from a country immigration: moving to a country	eminent: outstanding, revered imminent: threatening to happen soon	everyday: The everyday (ordinary) routine of working every day: Call me every day (each day) this week.
farther: refers to actual distance further: refers to figurative distance	imply: speaker implies (suggests) infer: hearer infers (perceives)	floe: large sheet of floating ice flow: move, run freely, circulate
lay: to set down, to place or put an item down lie: to recline	pray: to ask for by prayer or supplication prey: animal hunted or caught for food; victim	principal: first in authority; main participant; amount of a debt less interest principle: basic truth or assumption
raise: to cause to lift or to lift something rise: to ascend, move upward, or get up	real: adjective (real sugar) really: adverb (really wishing for...)	set: to place something somewhere sit: to be in a position of rest or to be seated
stationary: not moving: fixed stationery: writing material: letterhead, envelopes, etc.	suit: a set of clothes; legal action suite: number of items making up a set, series, or sequence	waiver: the giving up of a claim waver: to hesitate; also tremble or quaver

Confusing Word Triplets

ensure: to make sure or certain; guarantee; to protect	insure: to take out or issue insurance; to pay or be paid money in the case of loss	assure: convince, make sure of something, to give confidence; to declare or promise confidently
to: in the direction of; toward	too: in addition; as well, also	two: more than one; less than three
their: belonging to; possessive of "they"	there: at, or in that place	they're: combination of "they are"

AFFECT VS. EFFECT

2009-07-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

One of the MTs asked for this information. I thought I'd share it with all of you.

One site I visited said this:

Generally, affect is a verb (action -- doing it) and effect is a noun (the thing that resulted).

Another site I visited said this:

The simplest way into the issue is, If you're going to do it, use "affect." If it's something already done, use "effect."

Yet another site had this:

affect = verb meaning to influence: Will lack of sleep affect your game?

effect = noun meaning result or consequence: Will lack of sleep have an effect on your game?

effect = verb meaning to bring about, to accomplish: Our efforts have effected a major change in university policy.

A fourth site had this:

1) When "affect" is accented on the final syllable (a-FECT), it is a verb meaning "have an influence on":

"The million-dollar donation from the industrialist did not affect my vote against the Clean Air Act."

2) A much rarer meaning is indicated when the word is accented on the first syllable (AFF-ect), meaning "emotion."

In this case the word is used mostly by psychiatrists and social scientists— people who normally know how to spell it.

3) The real problem arises when people confuse the first spelling with the second: "effect." This too can be two different words.

The more common one is a noun: "When I left the stove on, the effect was that the house filled with smoke."

4) The less common is a verb meaning "to create": "I'm trying to effect a change in the way we purchase widgets."

No wonder people are confused.

When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it.

Note especially that the proper expression is not "take affect" but "take effect"—become effective.