Acronyms and Abbreviations

n many fields today abbreviations and acronyms are common. They provide a useful tool for shortening long words or expression in order to save time and space. Some well-known general examples are DVD (digital versatile disc), UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), and UN (United Nations). Abbreviations are extensively used in the scientific and medical communities. It is common practice to use abbreviations for long names of many clinical diseases and procedures, and for scientific techniques that have to be repeated many times in medical or scientific papers, posters, and oral presentations. This can cause substantial communication difficulties for individuals who are not familiar with English abbreviations in their field. The example below is meaningless to individuals who are not familiar with the abbreviations used.