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Joined: Jul 2000
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OP
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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??
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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".
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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"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?
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear Faldage: A better opeining is: "This patient's chief complaint is.........."
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dear of troy - yes, that seems intuitively right, ie these are the external manifestations or symptoms, without benefit of pathology, histology, x-rays etc.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
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Dear Faldage: I never suspected that you were a bionic man.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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never suspected
Well, you may continue.
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3
stranger
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stranger
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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.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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.
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