Language Skills Worksheet #5

The constant presence of misplaced modifiers and dangling participles in a doctor's dictation offers a clear indication that the dictating physician suffers from impaired language skills. Each one of these statements was dictated by a licensed physician. Diagnose what is wrong with the dictating doctor's statement and write your own version of what the physician failed to communicate.

"The patient's wound is still inflamed. The drain now looks white and cloudy. I have started her on some Keflex and will send a sample of this over for culture."

Diagnosis:
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Corrected Text:

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"A recheck of my blood pressure showed her to be 212/150 with a sinus rhythm."

Diagnosis:
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Corrected Text:

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"I asked Dr. O, who did her sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy, to poke his head in and he, too, thought that it did not look like a classic colon cancer."

Diagnosis:

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Corrected Text:

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"Mr. C. is a young man following an injury sustained by the tractor that he was driving on while in an intoxicated state."

Diagnosis:

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Corrected Text:

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"The gallium scan during her stay was carried up to her son, who was in her head, to rule out the diagnosis of sarcoidosis."

Diagnosis:

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Corrected Text:

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"This is a delightful man who is well taken care of by his family, whose urine culture was negative and whose blood cultures were negative."

Diagnosis:

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Corrected Text:

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"I assumed care of this 35-year-old male from Dr. G. at 8:00 a.m., who presented complaining of left lower quadrant pain, onset last evening."

Diagnosis:

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Corrected Text:

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"During the hospital course the patient was seen in surgical consultation by Dr. D., who showed evidence of periosteal hernia."

Diagnosis:

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Corrected Text:

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"Mental status examination on admission: She was found in bed with her friend and says through an interpreter that there is difficulty in communication."

Diagnosis:

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Corrected Text:

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"This 54-year-old female is complaining of abdominal cramps with BMs on the one hand and constipation on the other."

Diagnosis:

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Corrected Text:

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