The Practice of Medicine

Words I Want to Avoid as a Physician: Focal

Medical jargon drives me crazy sometimes. It makes sense to use with other health professionals who will know what you’re talking about. It facilitates communication in certain situations. With patients though, it seems to just get you in trouble, or make you look like a fool.

A focal neurologic deficit as I understand it is a deficit that is affecting a specific part or side of the body. Right sided weakness, a facial droop on the left side, or right arm numbness would be examples of a focal neuro deficit. Focal designates that the symptom is in a specific area.

Most people don’t know that, heck, it took me many months to figure it out working as a scribe.

So, naturally, it was surprising and frustrating when a physician I was working with asked a drunk guy coming in complaining of weakness-

“Do you have something focal going on? Anything focal?”

Wow. I think the blank stare would have been the response of 99.5% of the population in a similar situation.

Note to self: never ask someone if they have something focal happening to them, unless my patient is a neurologist.

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