Acronyms

Re: Acronyms

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:58:09 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]38 ºC

If you don't have something like PopChar making life easy, try alt+0 (that's figure 0, not O)[/quote]

I didn't know that one, that's a great tip. Just in case anyone else has any problem figuring it out, in Microsoft Word / Outlook holding alt and '+' and '0' together brings up a symbols dialogue box.

Re: Acronyms

plantagenet — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:02:19 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]

Nothing to do with the original topic, but I wonder how many people routinely use degrees F as oposed to degrees C for body temps.

Probably an age thing - but I have never got to grips with body temperatures in C - always have to mentally convert back to F . Somehow the range for F, 100 -104 or whatever seems better than the narrower range for degrees C. However for the weather I'm very happy with degrees C. Also I always use kg, g and metres/cms - would never dream of using imperial values - very odd.

And why are human babies still reported in lbs ?

[/quote]

I cook in lb but treat animals in Kgs.

I can't do animals in C but can remember all species in F

I measure how far to a place in miles and understand mpg but km/l would mean nothing to me, on the other hand small measurements are in cm

My babies were born in lb but that is part of their national heritage, if they had needed treatment I would have expected kgs.

I am NOT writing that out in full!

Re: Acronyms

Anthony Todd — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:44:22 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]I can imagine a hilarious conversation[/quote]

Even better an intense young vet, just starting own practice and a 35yo lady discussing PMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Acronyms

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:22:40 GMT

38 ºC

If you don't have something like PopChar making life easy, try alt+0 (that's figure 0, not O)

Re: Acronyms

Anthony Todd — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:06:01 GMT

[quote user="Chris Geddes"]38 °C[/quote]

It used to be easy to type the little superscript "o" [hold Alt and 246] but not easy or impossible now except on this forum.....

Nah, holdALT 246 doesn't work here; how does it work in vet software??

Re: Acronyms

karen jones — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:03:53 GMT

Insist on a Fahrenheit thermometer in my consulting room and car, the other leaves me lost

Re: Acronyms

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:46:39 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]Nothing to do with the original topic, but I wonder how many people routinely use degrees F as oposed to degrees C for body temps. [/quote]

Apart from it being what I'm used to, a degree Fahrenheit is smaller than a degree Celsius so small changes are more easily expressed and appreciated. Or, as you say, the wider range is better.

I have no problem at all using the metric system for scientific matters including drug doses and so on, while using the imperial system for everyday life, dogs' weights generally, woodwork and shooting. The basic unit of the metric system is no less arbitrary than that of the imperial system, but its being decimal makes scientific calculation straightforward.

[quote user="bob lehner"]And why are human babies still reported in lbs ?[/quote]

Because it's what people are used to and what they expect, so everybody understands the significance of one weight or another. And it is perfectly legal, despite what the "EU" would have you believe.

Re: Acronyms

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:21:08 GMT

[quote user="Chris Geddes"]either are[/quote]

I'm trying to guess whether that was deliberate!!

Re: Acronyms

Chris Geddes — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:52:47 GMT

I'm off to the pub for a 0.568 litre :)

Re: Acronyms

bob lehner — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:39:14 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"], because I prefer Fahrenheit),[/quote]

Nothing to do with the original topic, but I wonder how many people routinely use degrees F as oposed to degrees C for body temps.

And why are human babies still reported in lbs ?

Re: Acronyms

Chris Geddes — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:07:38 GMT

Really didn't want to turn this into a pedantry thread, sorry! But actually Evelyn, either are correct, as none can mean "not any" or "not one".

Chris

Re: Acronyms

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:58:10 GMT

[quote user="Chris Geddes"]are[/quote]

I think you mean "is" .

Re: Acronyms

Chris Geddes — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:55:25 GMT

Ah but I was making a point against pedantry! None of us are perfect, so no point in getting upset about others' mistakes!

Re: Acronyms

Rob Davis — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:39:30 GMT

[quote user="Chris Geddes"]

To be more pedantic, actually the correct way of abbreviating a temperature in Celsius is to include a space between the numbers and the degree symbol, so: 38 °C

Chris

[/quote]

I can feel the "Pedants' (or was it pedant's?) Corner thread reopening....

Re: Acronyms

Chris Geddes — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:33:20 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]

Just to be really pedantic, "mg" is not an acronym, and 38C for a temperature is just wrong: 38ºC is a temperature.

[/quote]

To be more pedantic, actually the correct way of abbreviating a temperature in Celsius is to include a space between the numbers and the degree symbol, so: 38 °C

Chris

Re: Acronyms

Alex Gough — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:52:37 GMT

It was for the benefit of pedants that I wrote acronyms and abbreviations above lol. :)

Re: Acronyms

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:41:05 GMT

[quote user="alex gough"]

I would have put "CSF analysis" in my letter btw - would that have been understandable.

For those who strongly disapprove of acronyms, I challenge you to go through a working day without using them in writing or speech. No "PTS", or "temperature = 38C", or "50mg"

If that isn't practical, then we conclude that some acronyms and abbreviations are acceptable, and it then becomes a matter of opinion which ones.

[/quote]

It's not a matter of which are acceptable, it is - as I tried to hint - a matter of which could be used in which circumstances and addressing whom.

Have a look over at the current hypercalcaemia thread and consider how it might read to someone not well up in modern clinical pathology.

[quote user="alex gough"]For those who strongly disapprove of acronyms, I challenge you to go through a working day without using them in writing or speech. No "PTS", or "temperature = 38C", or "50mg" [/quote]

I might write PTS in my notes (well, actually I would write "euth" but never mind) but in speech I would say "put to sleep" or "euthanase". On a consent form, or writing to the owner, or writing to an insurance company, I would write "euthanase".

(Just to be really pedantic, "mg" is not an acronym, and 38C for a temperature is just wrong: 38ºC is a temperature. In my notes I might write T38 (only I would not, because I prefer Fahrenheit), but not in a letter or report or forum post.)

If I told you that my mother was PA to AOC 1Gp BC, you would understand if you were RAF but otherwise you would think I was having a laugh at your expense.

And I cannot understand why people write hx and dx and tx and ab and roid when the extra time and effort to write the words properly so that everyone can understand is so minute as to be barely measurable.

To return to the origin of this thread, if the occupants of Belgravia House want to converse amongst themselves using initialised abbreviations that they all understand, that's fine. When reporting to us, they should write things out in full just as they would if writing in a journal; and if they were to use the abbreviations to confuse or humiliate a new councillor or any other member expressing opinions they do not like, it would be despicable.

Re: Acronyms

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:59:34 GMT

Fair enough I would use PTS and TN (temp normal ) but this is the second time I've found Jill's acronyms baffling

Wynne

Re: Acronyms

Alex Gough — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:45:41 GMT

We did have a section in our final year pantomime in which one clinician was portrayed by a final year vet student (mimicking his accent very well) who after reeling off a long list of acronyms, then request "KT in PVC ASAP"

I would have put "CSF analysis" in my letter btw - would that have been understandable.

For those who strongly disapprove of acronyms, I challenge you to go through a working day without using them in writing or speech. No "PTS", or "temperature = 38C", or "50mg"

If that isn't practical, then we conclude that some acronyms and abbreviations are acceptable, and it then becomes a matter of opinion which ones.

Alex

Re: Acronyms

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:35:31 GMT

PS to above I have friends-husband is a member of a quango-the Food Standards Agency Their son works for another quango-the FinancialServices Authority-imagine the confusion with FSA in that family

Wynne

Re: Acronyms

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:14:03 GMT

Alex I can guess which acronyms/abbreviations you would use for everything but "cerebrospinalfluid analysis " Either CSFA, or CFA would annoy me,especially if the explanation hadn't arrived before I spoke with the owner

I'mwith David on this one

One for any students planning the Christmas pantomime/revue I can imagine a hilarious conversation between cattle and equine lecturers on the subject of TB One discussing tuberculosis, and the other thoroughbreds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wynne

Re: Acronyms

Laurence Webb — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:16:01 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] all the Mrcvs family.[/quote]Aren't we all part of the great MRCVS family?

Re: Acronyms

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:04:27 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

....TLAs were king! [as they are with pilots and the military...]

[/quote]

One would presume that acronyms or TLA's are useful to shorten the time to react to a serious situation in the miltary and are popular for that purpose. So IED is an acronym for improvised explosive device but neither is quite as quick as shouting the fricking obvious - BOMB!

I just had a serious bout of deja vu but I lust loved the time when I was referred to as Mr Bvsc Mcrvs in a mail merge letter and the benefits of whatever they were selling would surely also brighten up the lives of all the Mrcvs family.

Re: Acronyms

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:34:28 GMT

JGW, thanks for clarifying, and sorry, I'd misunderstood - I think because 'overspends' seemed like such a tangent.

[quote user="J G Wray"]Mrs Nute is one of our Regulators. She is Chairman of a particular part of our regulatory process. I make the connection. She can tell us whether, in general rather than specific terms, during consideration of a case at PIC (see how I use their terms?), acronyms help or hinder. She may yet tell us what is best practice, according to RCVS/PIC/DC. It's not off topic, because of who she is.[/quote]

Interesting question.

Re: Acronyms

J G Wray — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:23:57 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Now you're sounding a bit like a dog with a RMB. Seriously, I think Jill is perfectly entitled to post a perfectly reasonable question without you jumping on it. Your point is off-topic and should be a new thread.[/quote]

Dear Mr G,

The VDS helps us when we are being "regulated". The VDS dislikes the use of abbreviations and acronyms in notes because it makes their job more difficult, because of concerns over clarity, when dealing with defending us from "regulation".

Mrs Nute is one of our Regulators. She is Chairman of a particular part of our regulatory process. I make the connection. She can tell us whether, in general rather than specific terms, during consideration of a case at PIC (see how I use their terms?), acronyms help or hinder. She may yet tell us what is best practice, according to RCVS/PIC/DC. It's not off topic, because of who she is.

And..............although I lost the link I did mention a BVA (whoever they are) acronym list - someone else posted it. Clearly, they have thought it helpful for years.

JGW