Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Minerva

Acute varicocele

BMJ 2014; 349 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4918 (Published 13 August 2014) Cite this as: BMJ 2014;349:g4918

Rapid Response:

"Exclude these Diagnoses"
How can anyone "exclude" cancer as suggested!. We can look for it but we cannot "exclude" it. Frequently we Radiologists are asked to "exclude" or "rule out" cancer/infection etc. Last friday I went for a walk up my street and I ruled out and excluded trees and bollards in the middle of the road but I could not "exclude" or "rule out" a malignancy or infection on the chest X-rays I reported half an hour later. Neither do I think I could have done this even if I dissected the patient down to subatomic level.
Madame Editor I invite and challenge you to "exclude" and "rule out" the inappropriate use of these words in your esteemed journal and help spearhead a campaign to "exclude" and "rule out" their inappropriate use in medical jargon and language.

roger.moshy@pbh-tr.nhs.uk Radiologist

Competing interests: No competing interests

18 August 2014
Roger Moshy
CONSULTANT RADIOLOGIST
23 Dry Leys PE2 7HP