By Jeff Clawson, M.D.
Irena:
Ross [Rutschman] called me with a question I couldn’t answer for sure. He asked what the meaning of the double line is in the headers of panels X-2/3. Does this mean as it does mathematically, approximately equal to?
Thanks,
Brett Patterson
Academics and Standards Associate
Medical Council of Standards Chair
Brett:
Those squiggly lines have been in the protocol forever, way before I came to work for PDC, and I have no idea what they mean, if anything. If I had to guess, I’d say someone thought they looked good aesthetically. If you ever find out the real answer, I’d like to know it myself.
Irena Weight
Protocol, Translation, Curriculum &
Instructional Design Director
OK Doc:
The ball is in your court; you’re perhaps the only person on the planet that knows this one …
Brett
Irena, Ross, and Brett:
Thanks for an easy question for a change! This symbol is widely used in medicine and is a variation of the equal sign that means approximately or “close to.” I recall when we did it, way back when (the change from v10.3 to 11.0), to clarify that unstable is not exact science and to encourage staying on the line, if questioning the patient’s stability. This was when we moved the “stay on the line” stuff from individual PDIs to the X-card as a common exit process.
That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!! ... Doc
Thanks so much! When I was asked the question, I looked at it while thinking of all the protocol questions they could ask they ask this, and I can’t give them a good answer.
Ross Rutschman
PDC Program Administrator—Fire & Medical
