Manuel Cedeño Berrueta (asker) Jan 6, 2007:

Thanks for your interest, Piotr. I see your point, but
(a) the part of the mysterious word that I have interpreted as “ttl” in fact looks like “Hl”; therefore, I don’t think there is any possibility for confusing it with “ckl”;
(b) in the handwritten parts (06 lines each) of these (08) reports I found two other words beginning with “r” (“remarkable” & “remainder”) where the initial “r” has the same form/shape as the letter following the question mark in the mysterious word, which seems to be the first letter of this word, since there are other two sentences that beginning with “?”.
There is no other description of or reference to “HS”.
Kind regards.
Manuel.

Piotr Sawiec Jan 6, 2007:

you are fast with accepting answers, but rattle is not a typical term describing auscultation findings, crackle would be, so maybe this handwriting resembles this. And heart sounds without anything following, they should be described somehow.

Manuel Cedeño Berrueta (asker) Jan 6, 2007:

More context: This is the report on a routine medical examination; the examiner is a British medical technician serving at a ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
The patient is a man who has been arrested in a counter-drug operation at the high seas. The relevant part of the report reads as follows:

<<Clinical notes: To be signed by Medical Officers, giving Rank and appointment.

(Date and time)

Back op 4 yrs ago. Abdominal op 5 yrs ago.
On medication for LBP
Chest - ?urattle lower (R) lobe- otherwise clear. HS
BP: 121/78 P78

(Name and signature)
Medical Technician RFA>>
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