[General] An MT in need of help...

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oranrene

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Apparently, after 10 years of doing my job it has been brought to my attention that my punctuation is a little "off" lately. Not sure how I managed the last 10 years, however, I was wondering if this would be the place for me to ask questions (daily)?

My doctors tend to have many fragmented/run-on sentences and just when I think I am punctuating them correctly, I am told something different by QA.

Here is an example of what's "bothering" me now - this is how it was dictated:

He states at this time that the pain in his back has migrated down a little below where it was prior to his fusion although he continues to have radiating pain around his chest he does not feel he can make an adequate assessment on whether the procedure has been particularly helpful.


Here is how I typed it:

He states at this time that the pain in his back has migrated down a little below where it was prior to his fusion. Although he continues to have radiating pain around his chest, he does not feel he can make an adequate assessment on whether the procedure has been particularly helpful.

We are only "allowed" to do subtle editing, so rephrasing these run-on sentences is not an option.

Does my version look correct or am I missing something?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
 

Barb_D

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He states at this time that the pain in his back has migrated down a little below where it was prior to his fusion although he continues to have radiating pain around his chest he does not feel he can make an adequate assessment on whether the procedure has been particularly helpful.


Here is how I typed it:

He states at this time that the pain in his back has migrated down a little below where it was prior to his fusion. Although he continues to have radiating pain around his chest, he does not feel he can make an adequate assessment on whether the procedure has been particularly helpful.

Hi, and welcome to the forums. It's hard to say what the "although" passage is more closely linked to. It could be the pain in his back, or it could be the ability to make the assessment. Your version is punctuated grammatically (as I"m sure you know), but another way to write that would be:

He states at this time that the pain in his back has migrated down a little below where it was prior to his fusion, although he continues to have radiating pain around his chest. He does not feel he can make an adequate assessment on whether the procedure has been particularly helpful.

Pain A has moved, although pain B is the same. He can't say whether it was a success.
or
Pain A has moved. Although he still has pain B, he can't say whether it was a success.
 

5jj

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Here is how I typed it:

He states at this time that the pain in his back has migrated down a little below where it was prior to his fusion. Although he continues to have radiating pain around his chest, he does not feel he can make an adequate assessment on whether the procedure has been particularly helpful.

Does my version look correct or am I missing something?

I cannot see anything wrong at all in your version; I would have punctuated it in exactly the same way.

However, I have come to realise that some institutions in the USA have far more precise rules on punctuation than we British, so you may find others who will point out what is 'wrong'.
 

oranrene

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Thank you so much, Barb, for responding and welcoming me.

I see what you mean and that is something to ponder. Thinking about it now, perhaps the term "although" should simply be omitted and rephrased to "Due to the continued radiating pain around his chest..." Unfortunately, they would have my head if I did so ;)

Again, I appreciate your response!!
 

oranrene

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Thank you for looking and responding, Five! I'm moving to Britain!! lol
 

Barb_D

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Thank you so much, Barb, for responding and welcoming me.

I see what you mean and that is something to ponder. Thinking about it now, perhaps the term "although" should simply be omitted and rephrased to "Due to the continued radiating pain around his chest..." Unfortunately, they would have my head if I did so ;)

Again, I appreciate your response!!

But you'd be making an assumption by doing so, even if you were allowed. You would be saying that it is specifically because of the chest pain that he's unable to make that decision. My initial reading of the run-on was that the "although" was a contrast to the first sentence, not to the final one. My suggested revision shows that first-sentence contrast, while yours shows last-sentence contrast. I don't know which one was meant, though, unless you heard a massive pause on the tape.

Your original is fine -- if they say otherwise, you need to ask why.
 

oranrene

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Gotcha...thanks again, Barb!

Check this one out:

With regard to Mr. ----'s current complaints, we are optimistic with his improvement thus far and feel that allowing the fusion to mature we will see an improvement in his left shoulder and posterior neck pain. We have liberalized his activities and allowed him to go back to riding his horses at a slow pace. We asked him to avoid anything aggressive. We have also cleared him to lift up to 50 pounds using good body mechanics, as well as being protective of his neck and avoiding any jerking or more violent movements. We have also stated that he can go back to playing some golf and ease into this using his best judgment. We are going to see him back in three months' time with some repeat imaging. We have given him a refill of his Lortab today, as well as some Tramadol for minor pains due to arthritis, and some Amrix in an effort to improve some of his soreness that he is experiencing right now. We have also given him an order for his films to be done. We will see him in three months and proceed accordingly.

I have to go over this now, correct it, and send it in. If anyone has time, I'd appreciate seeing any corrections you would make ;)
 

Barb_D

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We have also cleared him to lift up to 50 pounds using good body mechanics, as well as being protective of his neck and avoiding any jerking or more violent movements.

This is the only part that I could see changing, moving the comma to after "50 pounds." He wasn't cleared to lift as well as cleared to be protective -- he was cleared to lift if he used good mechanics was was protective.

But it's pretty nit-picky.
 
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oranrene

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I didn't change anything - wish I had seen this post before sending it in, though. Had I added that comma after "50 pounds," I bet she would have taken it out...and then I'd ask why!!! Oh well, next time ;)

Thanks!
 

oranrene

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Here is an example of some of the work QA corrected for me. What do you think? Am I a "comma queen" or what? lol

Hearing is diminished, [no comma necessary] but intact bilaterally. Strength is 5/5 in the bilateral lower extremities, as well as the right upper extremity and left upper extremity with the exception of the left grip. Sensory exam is within normal limits to light touch throughout, with the exception of the third, fourth and fifth digits of the left hand, [no comma necessary] which have some altered sensation to light touch. Cardiovascular: Regular rate and rhythm. Lungs: Clear with some mild wheezes. Abdomen: Mildly obese, [no comma necessary] but negative.
 

Barb_D

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Here is an example of some of the work QA corrected for me. What do you think? Am I a "comma queen" or what? lol

Hearing is diminished, [no comma necessary] but intact bilaterally. Strength is 5/5 in the bilateral lower extremities, as well as the right upper extremity and left upper extremity with the exception of the left grip. Sensory exam is within normal limits to light touch throughout, with the exception of the third, fourth and fifth digits of the left hand, [no comma necessary] which have some altered sensation to light touch. Cardiovascular: Regular rate and rhythm. Lungs: Clear with some mild wheezes. Abdomen: Mildly obese, [no comma necessary] but negative.

I use a lot of commas too.

That second one, before which, is required. The person was wrong to tell you to take it out. The others are optional and neither necessary nor wrong. Especially because most of these are fragments, there are few "rules" that anyone can say are being violated.
 

5jj

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Hearing is diminished, [no comma necessary] but intact bilaterally.[...]. Sensory exam is within normal limits to light touch throughout, with the exception of the third, fourth and fifth digits of the left hand, [no comma necessary] which have some altered sensation to light touch. [...] Lungs: Clear with some mild wheezes. Abdomen: Mildly obese, [no comma necessary] but negative.

Barb_D: That second one, before which, is required. The person was wrong to tell you to take it out. I agree wholeheartedly. The others are optional and neither necessary nor wrong. Especially because most of these are fragments, there are few "rules" that anyone can say are being violated. I agree.
I can offer no help, oranrene, just sympathy.
 

orangutan

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I use a lot of commas too.

That second one, before which, is required. The person was wrong to tell you to take it out. The others are optional and neither necessary nor wrong. Especially because most of these are fragments, there are few "rules" that anyone can say are being violated.

I was interested in these comments about the commas before "but". My understanding has always been the same (they are optional, though I usually include them). But I recently used an American textbook which, if I remember correctly, taught that the commas were required in American English. I guess not?
 

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I am an American and I would have put commas before the "but."
 

Barb_D

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Commas are included before coordinating conjunctions separating two independent clauses.
He was obese, but he was negative for diabetes. (Or whatever). Once you're in the world of fragments, I really don't think you can say they are required -- but they certainly aren't wrong!

I'm probably second in line the throne of comma queen, if you're occupying it now. So my writing would look a lot like yours.
 

oranrene

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Hello, Everyone; my name is Charlotte, and I'm a commaholic! :cheers:

I, for the life of me, cannot figure out MT (medical transcription) punctuation!

For example, here is yet another sentence I was corrected on:

The patient is a 63-year-old, black female...

QA took out my comma after "63-year-old," yet clearly there are two adjectives that modify the noun! This one stunned me because at my last employment, I got reamed for NOT doing this! Argh!!

It seems I cannot win for losing, but I do thank all of you for letting me know I haven't lost my mind...completely anyway! :lol:

On a positive note, I was given very good feedback today by QA, stating I have been doing a great job lately! Whoop!! :up: That's gotta count for something...I just don't know what!

Again, thank you all for your input. I truly do appreciate it! I may come back in the future for a boost of confidence if needed.
 

5jj

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I'm a commaholic!
Not true. You are a moderate user (and I write those words as an abstainer).

You have just been landed with one of those people who have fixed ideas (in your idiot's case, on punctuation) often arrived at without any real justification. Such people know that they are right and that everybody else is wrong.

We can just be grateful that some of them do less harm to the public at large in QA than they would if they were in government.
 

oranrene

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Lol, Five. I've actually been attending my AA meetings regularly, so I'm better now ;)

I feel ya on the fact that some people "think" they are always right (husband), but I don't bother to argue with QA. I learned that lesson a long time ago. QA tends to get very upset if you disagree with them. What they really want is for you to praise them over and over for how wonderful they are to you ;).

I wonder how many politicians used to be in QA (hmmm...everything makes sense now). :lol:

Welp, I'm off to another confusing day of typing! Hope you all have a great (and productive) day!
 

5jj

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oranrene

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Oh great! Now I gotta look into common sense meetings...geesh! I'm a hot mess for sure! ;) CA is correcto! Yeah, I'm blonde.........:-?
 
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