why do doctors use this term to mean "the patient turns up"?
Does it include situations where you do a ward round and find someone with a particular condition??
Dear jj: I'm glad you didn't ask me, because I don't know. It doesn't sound like a
professional term to me, just a colloquiallism.
You mean the classic line from a TV medical show--
"This patient presents with rash that covers head and upper torso, fever..." ?
i think they use the term to describe the symptoms they can see, and the patient can describe... but not all syptoms are immediately visible, or noticable.
Dear JJ: I failed to connect your subject title with the sentence. "The patient present" is
then just wasted words meaning "the patient has come to the hospital because of".
"The patient present" is then just wasted words meaning "the patient has come to the hospital because of".
Really! Why waste one word when you can say the same thing perfectly well with a mere seven?
Dear Faldage: A better opeining is: "This patient's chief complaint is.........."
dear of troy - yes, that seems intuitively right, ie these are the external manifestations or symptoms, without benefit of pathology, histology, x-rays etc.
This patient's chief complaint is..........
Doc, I got this pain in all the diodes on my left side.
The patient presents a severe case of paranoia.
Dear Faldage: I never suspected that you were a bionic man.
never suspected
Well, you may continue.
i found this explanation useful
present (verb) To offer for observation, examination, or consideration; show or display. (The American HeritageŽ Dictionary)
it is a most appropriate word (cf complains of, comes with, is seen because of) since it embraces the sense of the patient putting forward symptoms for evaluation as well as the physical act of being present to the exam.
Allow me, subho, to offer you our welcome to this board. I hope you will stay and present us the benefits of your own slant on this rich language and give us hints into others.