MT Grammar, Punctuation & Editing Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon in a medical report?
- The patient was discharged; on oral antibiotics.
- The patient was discharged; she was instructed to follow up in two weeks. (Correct answer)
- The patient was discharged; and given a prescription.
- The patient was discharged; feeling well.
Correct answer: The patient was discharged; she was instructed to follow up in two weeks.
A semicolon joins two independent clauses; 'she was instructed to follow up in two weeks' is a complete independent clause.
Question 2: In medical transcription, when should a colon be used after a heading such as 'DIAGNOSIS'?
- Only when the diagnosis is a single word
- Never — headings stand alone
- Always, to introduce the content that follows (Correct answer)
- Only when followed by a numbered list
Correct answer: Always, to introduce the content that follows
In medical reports, a colon follows section headings like DIAGNOSIS or PLAN to introduce the information that follows.
Question 3: A dictated sentence reads: 'The patient denies fever chills nausea or vomiting.' How should commas be applied?
- The patient denies fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting. (Correct answer)
- The patient denies fever, chills, nausea or vomiting.
- The patient denies: fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting.
- The patient denies fever; chills; nausea; or vomiting.
Correct answer: The patient denies fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting.
Serial (Oxford) commas are standard in medical transcription for clarity when listing three or more items.
Question 4: Which of the following correctly handles a possessive form in a medical term?
- Parkinson's disease
- Parkinsons disease
- Parkinson disease (Correct answer)
- Parkinsons' disease
Correct answer: Parkinson disease
Current AAMT/BOS style omits the possessive apostrophe from eponymic disease names, making 'Parkinson disease' the preferred form.
Question 5: The dictator says 'well-developed, well-nourished male.' When transcribed in a physical exam note, how should this appear?
- Well developed well nourished male.
- Well-developed, well-nourished male. (Correct answer)
- Well developed, well nourished male.
- Well-developed well-nourished male.
Correct answer: Well-developed, well-nourished male.
Compound modifiers before a noun are hyphenated, and a comma separates the two modifier pairs in standard medical transcription style.
Question 6: Which is the correct way to transcribe a drug dosage as dictated: 'metformin five hundred milligrams twice daily'?
- metformin 500 mg twice daily
- Metformin 500 mg twice daily (Correct answer)
- Metformin five hundred mg twice daily
- metformin 500mg twice daily
Correct answer: Metformin 500 mg twice daily
Drug names at the start of a medication list are capitalized, numerals are used for dosages, and a space separates the number from its unit abbreviation.
Question 7: In editing a transcribed report, you notice 'The patient's labs were within normal limits, however, the chest x-ray showed infiltrates.' What is the grammatical error?
- Incorrect possessive on 'patient's'
- Comma splice — 'however' joining two independent clauses with only commas (Correct answer)
- Incorrect capitalization of 'x-ray'
- Missing article before 'chest'
Correct answer: Comma splice — 'however' joining two independent clauses with only commas
Using 'however' between two independent clauses with only commas creates a comma splice; a semicolon before 'however' or a period is required.
MT Grammar, Punctuation & Editing Standards 2
Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon in a medical report?