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![[General Practitioner's Section]](../../images/sp_gpsec.gif)       |
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USE OF ACRONYMS OF A NUISANCE
VALUE IN PRIVATE PRACTICE
O P Kapoor
Hon. Visiting Physician, Jaslok Hospital and Bombay Hospital, Mumbai,
Ex. Hon. Prof. of Medicine, Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital, Mumbai 400 008.
With the coming in of different specialities, the use of acronyms is increasing.In olden days we had to differentiate an ICU from ICCU. But then followed so many acronyms like HT, IHD, DsMs, ABG, PFT, AKT,HAART, MDR, CABG, GERD, CML, CLL,SCMT, ITP, COPD, ANA, ANCA, Anti HCV,HBsAg, Anti HBc IGm, VLDL, lipoproteins etc.
The fact is that very often the practitioner who is going through the old reports is confused and irritated.
Few years back I got so irritated that I wrote an article on "Uncomplicated, superficial superior surface, lateral left lobe, Amoebic liver abscess syndrome" and stressed on the diagnosis to prevent a rupture of the abscess into the pericardium causing sudden death. Naturally, I had to put an acronym as - "USSSLLLALAS" which irritated so many of my colleagues and I was amused to have described one of the longest acronyms like the pre College sent STD telephone numbers specially the foreign American ones.
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