OSTIAL/OSTEAL

OSTIAL/OSTEAL

Many a times, I have come across this error.  This simple confusion can be avoided if we try to remember where to use which one.  I will just try to explain as these two different spellings with same pronunciation will lead to a critical major error and often goes unnoticed, i.e., silly mistake.

OSTIAL:  This means related to ostia or an or-I-fice or a small opening.

OSTEAL:  This means related to ossEous or bone.

BOTTOM LINE

The best way to remember is quite simple.  The I of OSTIAL denotes the I of ORIFICE.

The same goes with ostium.

CALF VS CUFF

CALF/CUFF

Often times, I have come across this confusion of spelling.  I will just try to explain the way I remember these two different spellings with different meaning but same pronunciation.

CUFF:  In orthopedics files, by this the doctor generally means the rotator cuff of the shoulders, Upper extremities.

CALF:  This spelling refers to the calf muscles of the Legs.

BOTTOM LINE

CUFF:  The U denotes upper extremities.  Therefore Cuff means the rotator cuff muscles of the Upper extremities.

CALF:  The L denotes the Legs.  Therefore, calf means the calf muscles of the Legs.

SPARING VS SPARRING

SPARING/SPARRING

Often times the spelling of these two are confusing and would result in a gross medical error.  I will try to help this out to the best of my ability.

SPARRING:  This means Fighting.  Generally not used in medical transcription, this comes with fights in martial arts, like tae kwon do sparring, boxing sparring, etc.

SPARING:  This means Avoiding Waste.  One R less, means avoiding the waste of one R, using only single R.  This is most commonly used in orthopedic files.  For example, metatarsal-sparing shoes

BOTTOM LINE

SPARING:  With one R less means avoiding wastage of R with one less R, i.e., means spare one R.  This means avoiding waste or to spare.

SPARRING:  Means fighting, very rarely used in medical transcription.

STARING / STARRING

Often times the spelling of these two are confusing and would result in a gross medical error.  I will try to help this out to the best of my ability.

STARING:  Look at with fixed eyes.  It is like, when you look at the open night sky for the STARs with your eyes wide open.

STARRING:  Most important performer in a movie or show or performance,  staR in the Ring.  Not used in medical transcription.

BOTTOM LINE

STARING:  Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, looking with fixed eyes, as if seeing stars.

STARRING:  In movies or shows, the leading role, staR in the Ring.  Not used in medical transcription.

SCARING / SCARRING

Often times the spelling of these two are confusing and would result in a gross medical error.  I will try to help this out to the best of my ability.

SCARING:  To cause fear, to frighten, to scare.  This is rarely used term in medical transcription, common in psychology files.

SCARRING:  Mark with a scar.  This is the word that is commonly used in medical transcription.

To remember this spelling, what I do is that as if the R is marking its importance by repeating itself as RR.  As if R is leaving its scar behind like a shadow of it as RR.

BOTTOM LINE

SCARRING.  Double R to mark a scar/importance of R in the spelling.

SCARING:  To scare.  Not used in medical transcription.

DIARY/DAIRY

DIARY/DAIRY

This is one of the common spelling mistakes that I have come across in my carrier of 12 years in the MT profession.  I have my own way to deal with this problem, distinguishing between Diary and Dairy, which I would like to share with you.

DIARY:  As we know, this means daily written record of usually personal experiences, records, observations.  Please note the "I" that comes before A, that is importance of "I", i.e., it is something about ME, where I become the first importance, records written by me.

For example, doctor might say "food diary," "seizure diary," "blood pressure diary," "headache diary," so these are the records written by the patients.

DAIRY:  This means products derived from milk.  Note the "A" that comes before I.  Let us assume that "A" stands for the word "Adore" or things that we adore or love to have, like ice creams and chocolates, like "Amul Butter," "Baskin-Robbins," " Kwality Wall's," "Cadbury's Dairy Milk," and etc.

So that we can connect, like I adore/love chocolates/ice creams, chocolates/ice creams come from milk, so with "A" before "I" means Love for milk or milk products.

For example, doctor might say "allergic to dairy products."

BOTTOM LINE

Diary:  If "I" comes first, then it is a record of myself or the patient himself/herself, preference of "I" over everything.

Dairy:  If "A" comes first, it means Adore, or love. I love chocolates and ice creams, that comes from milk, it represents love for chocolates and ice creams.

Please let me know if you have any suggestion or questions.

ILEUM VERSUS ILIUM !!

ILEUM/ILIUM

This is another silly mistake, but taken as major error.  We often get confused between ileum and ilium, iliac artery is often times mistakenly written as ileac artery, and so on.  There is a very simple way to remember Iliac and Ileum and not get confused between the two.

ILEUM:  The third and longest portion of the small intestine.  "E" corresponds to Eat, Enteral or Endoscopy, meaning intestines.  So, for any intestines related things doctor dictates, it will be ileum.

ILIUM:  The flaring portion of the hIp bone.  Here, "I" corresponds to Ischium or hIp bone.  So, wherever doctor dictates hip related things, it will be iliac or ilium.

Iliac Artery:  It will always be iliac artery, and not ileac artery.

BOTTOM LINE

Ileum:  "E" stands for Eating, Endoscopy.

Ilium:  "I" stands for hIp or ischium.

GUILLAIN-BARRÉ SYNDROME/GILBERT SYNDROME

GUILLAIN-BARRÉ SYNDROME/GILBERT SYNDROME

The Guillain-Barré Syndrome and the Gilbert's syndrome both are often pronounced in such a way that it becomes bit difficult to distinguish them.  It often sounds like "gilber syndrome."  Whereas the two syndromes are totally different and would result in a Medical Error.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome:  Immune-mediated disorder of peripheral nerves, spinal roots, and cranial nerves, presenting as rapidly progressing weakness.

Gilbert's syndrome:  Mild jaundice, due to an inborn error of metabolism in which the excretion of bilirubin by the liver is defective, hereditary disease, also known as familial nonhemolytic jaundice.

Bottom Line

Remember in Guillain-Barré Syndrome, the letter "n" denotes to neurology/nerve.  So, whenever the doctor is mentioning any nerve related disease, nervous systems, neurologic disorder, weakness ---- put Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

Gilbert's syndrome is related to liver/jaundice, so whenever doctor is dictating bilirubin or jaundice or hepatitis, put Gilbert's syndrome.