Need help badly with comma usage

[pinkwarrior235]

Hi,

I am studying to become a medical transcriptionist and I'm doing great at my classes except for in one area of grammar I am really bad, and I was hoping I could open up a dialogue in this thread and hopefully get a better understanding of comma usage after we're through.

What I'd like to do is go ahead and post some error sentences I made using commas that I inserted that weren't supposed to be inserted, and then maybe you can take a couple of them (or all if you got time on your hands) and explain why each one shouldn't have a comma where I put it.

Here are some recent mistakes I made (the explanation by my examiner is put after the sentence):

He is seen for evaluation of headaches and associated chronic pain, associated with depression. no comma after 'pain'

At times, they are worse, but they never fully resolve. no comma after 'times'

They are typically bifrontal, (left > right). no comma after 'bifrontal'

He has chronic back pain subsequent to a workman’s comp injury involving L4-L5, for which he is receiving disability payments. no comma after L4-L5

He has frequent diarrhea-type bowel movements, up to five to six/day. no comma after movements

Typically, these occur in the morning and in the evening, but not at night. no comma after 'evening'

He has had some cramping, but no tenesmus. no comma after 'cramping'

No other articular complaints, with the exception of intermittent pain in the right great toe, without a history suggestive of gout. no comma after 'complaints'

Very intense individual with somewhat pressured speech, but no overt evidence of mania/hypomania. no comma after 'speech'

He has tenderness over both lateral epicondyles, with pain on resisted wrist extension. no comma after 'epicondyles'

Mild tenderness over the right, first MTP. no comma after 'right'

Calcium supplementation, with Caltrate, with D 600 mg q.d. no comma after 'supplementation' or 'Caltrate'

[Anglika]

Welcome to the forums.

Originally Posted by pinkwarrior235

Hi,

I am studying to become a medical transcriptionist and I'm doing great at my classes except for in one area of grammar I am really bad, and I was hoping I could open up a dialogue in this thread and hopefully get a better understanding of comma usage after we're through.

What I'd like to do is go ahead and post some error sentences I made using commas that I inserted that weren't supposed to be inserted, and then maybe you can take a couple of them (or all if you got time on your hands) and explain why each one shouldn't have a comma where I put it.

Here are some recent mistakes I made (the explanation by my examiner is put after the sentence):

He is seen for evaluation of headaches and associated chronic pain, associated with depression. no comma after 'pain'
Without the comma it is clear that there is an association between the pain and the depression. With the comma, it is not clear if the depression and the pain are linked.


At times, they are worse, but they never fully resolved. no comma after 'times'

They are typically bifrontal, (left > right). no comma after 'bifrontal'

He has chronic back pain subsequent to a workman’s comp injury involving L4-L5, for which he is receiving disability payments. no comma after L4-L5
Arguable. I see either as being acceptable.

He has frequent diarrhea-type bowel movements, up to five to six/day. no comma after movements I would have used a comma here.

Typically, these occur in the morning and in the evening, but not at night. no comma after 'evening'
Arguable. I see either as being acceptable.

He has had some cramping, but no tenesmus. no comma after 'cramping'

No other articular complaints, with the exception of intermittent pain in the right great toe, without a history suggestive of gout. no comma after 'complaints'

Very intense individual with somewhat pressured speech, but no overt evidence of mania/hypomania. no comma after 'speech'

He has tenderness over both lateral epicondyles, with pain on resisted wrist extension. no comma after 'epicondyles'

Mild tenderness over the right, first MTP. no comma after 'right'

Calcium supplementation, with Caltrate, with D 600 mg q.d. no comma after 'supplementation' or 'Caltrate'

One of the problems with this is that presumably you are transcribing from dictated notes. We cannot hear the pauses that would lead to commas, so all we can do is look at the sentences and judge what would be logical.