ACRONYMS & INITIALISIMS

- formed when intial letters of each of the successive words or major parts of a compound term or of selected term or selected letters of words or phrase. Acronyms are pronounced as words. Initialisim are not.

Capitalization
• All caps letters of acronyms but when extended Do not Caps the word from w/c they formed unless its proper names.
E.g. AIDS, BiPaP
• Lower case form when acronyms become word
E.g. laser
Unusual Abbreviations
Eg. pO2, aVL, PhD
Plural Form
• Form the plural capitalized acronyms & initialisims by using lowercase s.
Eg: RBCs, WBCs
• Form the plural lowercase acronyms & initialisims by using lower case ‘s.
Eg: rbc’s, wbc’s
• Form the plural of single-letter abbreviations by using ‘s
E.g: X’s or serial K’s.
Periods
• No periods w/in or end of most abbreviations, including acronyms, abbreviated unit of measure, and brief forms.
• No periods w/ academic degrees and professional credentials
• Periods in lowercase drug-rel abv.
• No double period on lower case.
Brief forms
• Transcrib as is…if they are commonly used, but extend on HEADINGS, DIAGNOSIS, & OPERATIVE TITLES.
• No ending periods
Eg: phone-telephone, Pap smear – Papanicolaou smear
Unit of Measure
• Abbreviate if accopmpanied by numeral even dictated in full.
Eg: 2.5mg 3 g/dL , 5 cc
• Avoid separating numeral from its associated unit of measure.
Sentence
• Never begin in lowercase letter such as pH.
• Sentence may begin w/ dictated abbreviation, acronym or brief form (except unit of measure)
Diagnoses & Operative Titles
• Write abbreviation or acronym in full if it is used in the
Eg. Admission, Discharge, Preoperative, Postoperative Diagnosis, Consultative Consultation, or Operative Title.
Accent Marks
• Omitted in MT w/c are not essential to communication.