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Are my commas correct? - Aggers

Posted: Dec 27, 2011

With the patient supine on the operating table and under general endotracheal anesthesia, the right groin and lower extremities as well as the left lower extremity, which included a previously performed BKA, were shaved, prepped with betadine, draped in the usual sterile manner, with a groin towel sewn in with 3-0 nylons.

Aggers - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I would love to help you out on this question AND the one on the word help board. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to assist students. Good luck!

I would take the last comma out. - NM

[ In Reply To ..]
x

You would be wrong. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Commas? How about parentheses! - Very unhappy camper

[ In Reply To ..]
Try this, for ease of readability:
With the patient supine on the operating table and under general endotracheal anesthesia, the right groin and lower extremities as well as the left lower extremity (which included a previously performed BKA) were shaved, prepped with betadine, draped in the usual sterile manner with a groin towel sewn in with 3-0 nylons.

Nope, that won't work - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
It's just as well that it won't work, because this is a student assignment. We shouldn't be helping with it.

my 2 cents, several changes - incognito

[ In Reply To ..]
With the patient supine on the operating table and under general endotracheal anesthesia, the right groin and lower extremity, as well as the left lower extremity which included a BKA, were shaved, prepped with betadine and draped in the usual sterile manner with a groin towel sewn in with 3-0 nylons.

There are several errors in your attempt - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
It's a good thing nobody here is doing this for a grade, as is the OP.

Umm..what? - cheesey

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't see anything wrong with that attempt.

There were many optional commas in the original. The commas separating "which included a previously performed BKA" are completely optional in the context. Usually, phrases surrounded by commas like that are indicative of unimportant info that can be taken out. But usually in medical reports, that info is important, so not using commas to separate it indicates its importance, which is usually preferred.

Quite honestly, I don't like comma heavy sentences, and I don't like separating important info. If a comma doesn't need to be placed for clarity, I don't place it. It just makes everything look cluttered.

Oops, spoke to soon - cheesey

[ In Reply To ..]
Whoopsies, okay, I saw ONE part in that attempt I didn't agree with. And that was the comma before "as" and after BKA which separated that into a phrase.

Yikes, that's what happens when you don't read thoroughly. I was looking more at the original. My bad!

which all just goes to show that we should let her teacher grade her work - and not do her work for her

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't know about you, but my work has already been graded. This is her turn to do her own work and be responsible for the results when her instructor grades it. Otherwise we aren't doing her any favors. She won't learn anything. Besides, many of these helpful suggestions are wrong!

RE: Are my commas correct? - Aggers

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you for all the input! Even the "let the teacher grade her work". I feel I have a great grasp on grammar, yet with all these Dr's rambling on forever and a day, it is insane! I have been marked on previous exams that I felt were correct and have since found out that there ARE many ways to present one of these marathon sentences. This is true just by seeing all the responses on my question!
BTW, I currently have a 96 in this course with only my last quiz pending, so it is not like I am looking to "get saved" here. Again, thank you all for your responses.

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