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> in medical school is that left/right always refer to the patient's perspective.

What if the patient lies on his back vs on his stomach? Theoretically this should then revert left and right in addition to how the doctors are facing the patient, from their point of view.

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The patient's left and patient's right are always going to be the same, regardless of which way the patient is facing. It'll change it from the doctor's perspective, but that's irrelevant since you're only looking at it from the patient's.

Your left hand doesn't turn into your right hand if you lie on the bed different way

I am aware of this. But oftentimes patients are completely covered by a green blanked with the exception of a small space of skin. I just thought that this could cause some confusion.

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