Acronyms
========

* TSUNG O CHENG

I write to protest against the use of unexplained acronyms in your editorial entitled “EUROSCOP, ISOLDE and the Copenhagen City Lung Study”.1 Acronyms are useful and often necessary because they simplify and accelerate modern communication.2 But when first mentioned in any biomedical journals, acronyms must be explained fully.3 Furthermore, abbreviations are prohibited in a title.4 

Specialists often take for granted that certain “trade terms” are so evident that they do not bother to define them. I thought that cardiologists, of which I am one, are notorious for using or inventing acronyms.2 Acronymania is contagious. Please do not let our colleagues in respiratory medicine catch this terrible disease.

## References

1.  Sherwood Burge P (1999) EUROSCOP, ISOLDE and the Copenhagen City Lung Study. Thorax 54:287–288, .
    
    [FREE Full Text](http://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiRlVMTCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6OToidGhvcmF4am5sIjtzOjU6InJlc2lkIjtzOjg6IjU0LzQvMjg3IjtzOjQ6ImF0b20iO3M6MjY6Ii90aG9yYXhqbmwvNTQvOC83NTAuNC5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30=) 

2.  Cheng TO (1999) Acronyms of clinical trials in cardiology—1998. Am Heart J 137:726–765, .
    
    [CrossRef](http://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0002-8703(99)70230-9&link_type=DOI) 
    
    [PubMed](http://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/external-ref?access_num=10097237&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fthoraxjnl%2F54%2F8%2F750.4.atom) 
    
    [Web of Science](http://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/external-ref?access_num=000079472100028&link_type=ISI) 

3.  International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (1993) Uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. JAMA 269:2282–2286, .
    
    [CrossRef](http://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.1993.03500170112052&link_type=DOI) 
    
    [PubMed](http://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/external-ref?access_num=8777388&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fthoraxjnl%2F54%2F8%2F750.4.atom) 

4.  Cheng TO (1997) No abbreviations in title, please. J Emerg Med 15:379, .
    
    [CrossRef](http://thorax.bmj.com/lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0736-4679(97)00017-6&link_type=DOI)