Usage of Sometime, Sometimes, and Some Time

Sometime, Sometimes, and Some Time

All three of these adverbs are considered acceptable for formal writing.

Some time
When using some time, some is an adjective. It is describing the amount of time, and frequently implies a long period.
For some time, the world has been known to be round.
He has been studying Aramaic for some time.
It can also imply a fairly specific amount of time:
I require another couple of hours to finish this project today.
I require some time to finish this project today.

Sometime
When written as one word, this adverb implies a vague time in the future. It can frequently be replaced by someday.
The cure for cancer will be found sometime.
I’ll get around to finishing that book sometime later.
Give me a call sometime, and we’ll have coffee.

Sometimes
When written as one word and ending in s, this adverb implies occasionally.
Sometimes, I just don’t understand what that man is saying.
English grammar sometimes follows its own rules, and sometimes it doesn’t.

USAGE OF "STATUS POST"

    Usage of status post

This is another common area where I see a lot of confusion.  To be frank, there are people working in this industry for so many years who do not even have an idea that status post can be used with two meanings – with a comma before and without.

Eg. Ovarian cancer status post chemotherapy and radiation

Is it that the patient has cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation or is it whether the patient had chemotherapy and radiation resulting in cancer??????? There is definitely confusion here.

Now, suppose I use punctuation??????

Ovarian cancer, status post chemotherapy and radiation.

The meaning is clear.  The patient first had ovarian cancer, so was given chemotherapy and radiation.

The same sentence if I write as follows……

Chemotherapy and radiation, status post ovarian cancer.  This gives a wrong meaning again.  You do not give chemotherapy and radiation and then the patient gets ovarian cancer.

Chemotherapy and radiation status post ovarian cancer.  Without the comma here, the meaning is right.

A comma makes a lot of difference in meaning with the phrase "status post."..............SO BE CAREFUL.

A FEW CORRECT TERMS

"URINE ANALYSIS" OR "URINALYSIS?" – SHOULD YOU EVER TRANSCRIBE "URINE ANALYSIS"

The term "urine analysis" is no longer used. If dictated as "urine analysis," it should be edited to "urinalysis."

WHAT IS IT -    "SHOTTY"     OR    "SHODDY"   ADENOPATHY / LYMPHADENOPATHY?

The correct term is  "shotty" lymphadenopathy   -   the term "shotty" referring to small clusters of nodes

IS IT  "DORSOLITHOTOMY"   OR   "DORSAL LITHOTOMY?"

The correct term is dorsal lithotomy.

C. diff or C diff or C. difficile?

C. diff   or   C diff  or  C. difficile  -  how should it be transcribed?

"C diff" is considered slang and should not be transcribed as such in transcribed reports, except for STRICTLY verbatim accounts.

Per Ask Dr. Stedman, the preferred and correct way to transcribe "C diff" is to transcribe it as "C. difficile" or go for the complete expansion "Clostridium difficile."

HOW IS "PEN VEE KAY" TRANSCRIBED?

HOW IS "PEN VEE KAY" TRANSCRIBED?

The correct way to transcribe this is as  penicillin V potassium.  Some MTs often transcribe this as "pen VK" which is at best a slang form, as no such drug exists. Then, there are other MTs who often transcribe this as "Pen-Vee K" which has been discontinued. 

According to Saunders Pharmaceutical Word Book and Ask Dr. Stedman's - penicillin V potassium is the preferred and correct way of transcribing "pen vee kay." 

IS IT NEUROFORAMINA OR NEURAL FORAMINA

Is it neuroforamina or neural foramina - the correct term is?

 

The correct term is neural foramina. Neuroforamina is a non-word and cannot be verified in reputable reference sources. So, the correct usage would be either,

neural foramen / neural foramina / neural foraminal  

Sounds Like:  neuroforamen;   Transcribe As:  neural foramen

Sounds Like:  neuroforamina;   Transcribe As: neural foramina

Sounds Like: neuroforaminal;   Transcribe As:  neural foraminal

Reference:  Stedman’s Neurology & Neurosurgery Words, Third Edition & Stedman’s Radiology Words, Fourth Edition

How to Transcribe Specific Gravity in Urinalysis?

How to Transcribe Specific Gravity in Urinalysis?




Specific gravity may be dictated as "10-10" or "10-15" for example. The correct way to transcribe specific gravity values are as 1.010 or 1.015 in the above examples. Specific gravity values range from 1.001 to 1.030 in adult humans, so just make sure you place the decimal in the correct place, even though the decimal is most often not dictated by the dictator

USAGE OF FOLLOWUP

FOLLOWUP/FOLLOW UP

The most common dilemmas in transcription world that I have faced is the confusion regarding Follow Up and Followup.

First of all, "followup" is a noun, whereas "follow up" is verb, but it is confusing as to where to use followup and follow up.

THUMB RULE

Noun:

If you can place "a/an" in front of followup, then it will be one word.

eg. The patient presents for a followup evaluation.

Even if the dictator does not say "a/an" and if you can place "a" in front of followup and it does not alter the meaning of the sentence, then it would be one word.

Dictated:  The patient presents for followup appointment

Transcribed:  The patient presents for (a) followup appointment - "a" does not alter the meaning of the sentence - in this case it would be one word.

Dictated:  The patient is to see Oncology for followup

Transcribed:  The patient is to see Oncology for (a) followup  -- making sense - one word.

Variation:

Dictated: The patient is to have cardiology followup in 2 weeks

Transcribed:  The patient is to have (a) cardiology followup in 2 weeks - here "cardiology followup" is acting like one word and putting "a" before "cardiology followup" does not change the meaning, so it will be one word.

Dictated: Followup appointment has been scheduled

Transcribed: (A) followup appointment has been scheduled - making sense, not changing meaning - followup will be one word.

Verb:

On the other hand, if adding "a/an" in front of follow up does not make sense -- then it will be 2 words.

eg.

Dictated:  The patient is to follow up in one month.

Transcribed:  The patient is to (a) follow up in one month  -- adding "a" is not making sense, then this will be two words.

Dictated:  Follow up in the clinic in 1 month

Transcribed:  (A) Follow up in the clinic in 1 month  -  this is not making any sense, as the dictator wants to say "the patient is to follow up in the clinic in 1 month", where "a" cannot be placed in front of "follow up" -- here it will be 2 words as it is being used as a verb in a commanding way.

BOTTOM LINE

1. If "a/an" can be placed in front of "followup" it will be 1 word, if cannot or does not make any sense, it will be 2 words.

Let me make it even simpler…………..A SIMPLE WAY TO REMEMBER:

For those who are not good at identifying nouns/adjectives/verbs - there is an easier way. Do note that this is something I've noticed and so it may or it may not work in all situations. It certainly does not follow the usual rules governing the use of the one-word or two-word followup.   Basically, these informal rules are as follows:

If you notice that "followup" is preceded by "is to"  or  "will" - then use the two-word followup  (i.e. follow up)

Eg:  .....is to follow up..   OR   will follow up......(VERB)

If you notice that "followup" is preceded by "in"  OR  "a"  OR  "for" OR “the” - then use the one-word followup (i.e. followup)

Eg:.....presents in followup   OR   .....for a followup appointment....(NOUN / ADJECTIVE)

For those perennially confused about the followup versus follow up conundrum - the above explanation should help!!