Use well versus good when you are referring to health. 

Examples:

The patient did not feel well today. 
The patient did not look well today. 

Good is an adjective.  Well is an adverb. 

Here are some examples that should help: 

The doctor did a good job. 
The nurse did the job well. 
The flowers smell good today. 
You smell well for someone with a terrible cold. 

If you have any other examples, please share. 

I am going to quote this right out of the Book of Style (third edition). 

Do not use reflexive or intensive pronouns in the objective case where a personal pronoun should be used. 

The patient was last seen by myself in February 2010 (incorrect). 
OR
The patient was last seen by me in February 2010 (correct). 

There is more information about pronoun usage/objective case on page 87. 

There was discussion in one of the groups this week on whether Ace bandage should be Ace or ACE.  We looked at ACE bandage meaning All-Cotton Elastic (did not find that acronym in the Stedman’s book) and Ace bandage.  

When ACE inhibitor is used, ACE stands for angiotensin-converting enzyme (according to Stedman’s Medical Abbreviations, Acronyms & Symbols). 

The Stedman’s Dermatology & Immunology book has Ace wrap. 

One of the MTs said they were always told to use the name on the manufacturer’s website on a box, bag, or bottle.  Technically, ACE wrap or ACE Bandage is a trademarked brand name. 

The conclusion we came to was that you could use either Ace or ACE wrap and you would always use ACE inhibitor. 

We would like to hear from anyone that has an opinion on this subject.  

This post is just for fun to share any bloopers or blunders that voice recognition may have put in on a medical report you were typing.  Unfortunately, these are not always seen and corrected.  I will give a few that I have seen that were not caught.

Radicate was put in by voice rec and word should have been eradicate.

Antral lysis was put in by voice rec and word should have been enterolysis.

Please department was put in by voice rec and word should have been police department.

I would love to hear from any of you to add to this list.

I was asked what these stand for today so I will share here:

EKG and ECG are for electrocardiogram.

EMG is electromyogram. 

EOG is electrooculogram.

EEG is echoencephalogram and electroencephalogram.

ECoG is electrocorticogram.

Feel free to add any others you think of.

Need your help with something.  A group in the membership today discussed whether a doctor was dictating anicteric or nonicteric.  The question was if they dictate nonicteric, can it be changed to anicteric?   

Anicteric means without jaundice.

I have always changed it to anicteric.  Verbatim accounts I assume would leave as is.

If you have an answer or opinion on this, please share with us.

This post was submitted by Julie A. regarding Lipitor now being available in generic form of atorvastatin.

Finally, a generic for Lipitor is available.  The generic name is atorvastatin. 

Lipitor is the most-prescribed brand name drug in the country.  Lipitor treats high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and cardiovascular disease.

The generic atorvastatin is available in doses of 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg.

Thanks, Julie!

Any other information regarding the new generic drug is welcome.

A neurological test that is common is the testing of deep tendon reflexes. 

Deep tendon reflexes are also called DTRs. 

When grading DTRs, a 0 to 4+ scale is used.  A reflex hammer is used for the test.  

Does anyone know what the grades tell the doctor? 

Ecchymosis is a bruise.  Small blood vessels rupture underneath the skin, blood escapes into the tissues, and an ecchymosis appears. 

It is typically a bluish area on the skin that is discolored.  Different things can cause an ecchymosis. 

Ecchymoses is the plural of ecchymosis. 

Any other definitions of ecchymosis? 

When you measure blood pressure when the heart is beating, it is called systolic blood pressure.  When you measure blood pressure when the heart is relaxed or between beats, it is called diastolic blood pressure.

The numbers are written like fractions and normal would look like 120/80.

Systolic is the number on top and diastolic is the number on the bottom.  The way I remember it is by remembering diastolic is “down” so it is the bottom number.

Here are the ranges that I found for normal, prehypertension, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension.

Normal – 120/80
Prehypertension – 120 to 139/80 to 89
Stage 1 hypertension – 140 to 159/90 to 99
Stage 2 hypertension – 160/100

Anything you can add to this is welcome.