Reading and Understanding Medical Texts – Answer Key to Proofreading Exercise

Answer Key to Proofreading Exercise

The text of the exercise is repeated below and the errors are underlined. Move
your mouse over each underlined word to get a little box with the relevant explanation.

One of the most common serious aflictions
in modern society is heart disease. This general label encompasses many different
abnormal conditions, including congenital heart defects (many of which can be
repaired surgically), diseases of the
the pericardium (the tissue surrounding the heart muscle), and diseases
affecting the heart muscle itself (the myocardium). Physicians cannot
often detect or predict heart problems by measuring rate
of heartbeat (called pulse) and by taking patient’s blood pressure. Another
important diagnostic tool is the electrokardiogram (EKG), a record of the electrical
activity of the heart, which can reveal abnormal cardiac rhythm and myocardial
damage. When heart disease is suspected and more detailed information are
needed, an angiogram is ordered. This series of X-ray films (taken after the
injection of an
radiopaque substance) defines the size and shape of various veins and arteries.

The most common cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis (hardening of the
arteries). Atherosclerosisof
the coronary arteries may cause the development of a coronary thrombus (blood
clot), which block
the flow of blood to the heart muscle. If, as a result, part of the heart muscle
dies, the condition is called myocardial infraction
(a heart attack). Some symptoms and    signs
of a heart attack are pain in the chest (and sometimes also in the jaws and
arms), shortness of breathing,
irregular pulse, nausea, and perspiration. Prompt cardiopulmonary resussitation
can save victims from sudden death. Among the emergency procedures used is a
technique known as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). This technique
widens coronary arteries that have become dangerously narrow do
to deposits (called plack)
on their interior walls. The procedure involves manipulating a cathiter
(flexible tube) into the constricted vessel, then inflating a small balloon
at it’s
tip, thereby compressing the plaque and widening the passage. This procedure
can sometimes substitute for a much more traumatic one – bypass surgery.

Note: More than 50% (12/20) of these errors were not “picked
up” by spell check on the computer. Proofreading on your own remains an
important task!!! Take responsibility for the accuracy of your work.