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The following are some common abbreviations from pulmonary function testing; they should always be expanded at first mention: |

,This score is an assessment of a newborn’s physical well-being based on the 5 parameters of heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and color, each of which is rated 0, 1, or 2; the 5 ratings are then summed. The Apgar score is often reported as 2 numbers, from 0 to 10, separated by a virgule or forward slash, reflecting assessment at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth. In general medical journals, however, it is best to specify the time intervals, especially as the Apgar score may be assessed at other intervals, eg, 10, 15, or 20 minutes. Less

There is no “official” classification of bacteria… [B]acterial classifications are devised for micro- biologists, not for the entities being classified. Bacteria show little interest in the matter of their classification. D. J. Brenner, J. T. Staley, and N. R. Krieg(p31) … the majority of bacteria in nature have not been grown or characterized. R. G. E. Murray and John G. Holt(p2) For general guidelines on biological nomenclature that apply to bacteria, see , Biological Nomenclature. Rules for bacterial nomenclature are found in the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. Sources of bacterial names available on the Web are the List of Prokaryotic Less

The Bethesda System for Reporting Cervical Cytology, dating to 1988, is a standardized, systematic means of reporting Papanicolaou test results. Resources are the published handbook (the “blue book”) and the website (http://www.cytopathology.org/NIH). Expand the following abbreviations at first mention. Punctuate as shown: In the following examples, unexpanded abbreviations are assumed to have been previously defined in the text: Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) have been described as a benign cytologic consequence of active human papillomavirus (HPV) replication. Several studies have reported that certain behavioral and biological risks exist for LSIL, suggesting that HPV alone is not sufficient for the development Less

Scientific names are labels used in place of lengthy descriptions. A scientific name corresponds to a set of formally defined attributes. The meanings of scientific names are internationally understood. Vernacular names or common names are also labels. Vernacular names seen in medical publications include fungi, prokaryotes, meningococcus, and St John’s wort. Vernacular names cannot be assumed to correspond to formally defined sets of attributes and vary by region and language. In scientific writing, scientific names should be used when the labeled entity verifiably corresponds to the set of attributes associated with the scientific name, at least at first mention. Subsequently Less

Blood groups are characterized by erythrocyte (red blood cell) antigens with common immunologic properties (eg, group A). Blood group systems are series of such antigens encoded by a single gene or by a cluster of 2 or 3 closely linked homologous genes (eg, ABO system). There are about 600 recognized erythrocyte antigens. The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) designates around 270 blood group antigens. Of these, around 250 belong to 1 of 29 systems., (Other antigens remain in officially designated series or collections.) Some antigens are erythrocyte-specific; others appear widely, but specifically, on cells of other organs and tissues. Less

[A]lthough erythrocytes have traditionally been considered relatively inert cellular containers of hemoglobin, they are in fact active in a variety of physiologic processes.  L. Calhoun and L. D. Petz(p1843) | Blood groups are characterized by erythrocyte (red blood cell) antigens with common immunologic properties (eg, group A). Blood group systems are series of such antigens encoded by a single gene or by a cluster of 2 or 3 closely linked homologous genes (eg, ABO system). There are about 600 recognized erythrocyte antigens. The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) designates around 270 blood group antigens. Of these, around 250 belong to Less

Cancer stages are expressed with the use of capital roman numerals: stage I stage II stage III stage IV The term “stage 0” usually indicates carcinoma in situ. Histologic grades are expressed with arabic numerals, eg, grade 2. Letter and numerical suffixes, usually set on the line, may be added to subdivide individual cancer stages, as in the following examples: stage 0a stage 0is stage IA stage IE stage IB2 stage IIIE+S stage IVA stage IVB (E indicates extralymphatic spread; S, splenic involvement [as seen in Hodgkin disease]; “is,” in situ.) | Less

Several areas of cardiology use simple letter terms and alphanumeric terms that need not be expanded at first mention. | International standardization of electrocardiographic nomenclature dates back to the mid-20th century. The preferred abbreviation for electrocardiogram and electrocardiographic in JAMA and the Archives Journals is ECG, not EKG. In the following examples of ECG terms note the use of capitals, lowercase letters, subscripts, and hyphens. Leads (recording electrodes) are designated as follows: Example: The abnormality appeared in leads V3 through V6 [not V3-V6 or V3-6]. The main deflections of the ECG (see Figure ) are named in alphabetical sequence (P, Less

Clusters of differentiation (CDs) are a system for identifying cellular surface markers, a number of which define lymphocyte subsets (see , Lymphocytes). The system and its nomenclature were formalized in a 1982 international workshop. Originally CD terms specified the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that clustered statistically in their reactivities to target cells. More recently, the CD terms apply to the cellular molecules themselves. The CDs, which now number more than 200 (and may eventually number in the thousands), are defined at the Human Cell Differentiation Molecules workshops (formerly Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigen Workshops). Workshops involve “multiple laboratories examining coded panels of Less