Medical symbols/abbreviations

[Chris Clemens]

We are transcribing Diversified Health Occupations, 7th Edition, and want some help with medical symbols/abbreviations. We are specifically interested in letters with lines over the letter, as shown in the first attachment, as well as some of the miscellaneous symbols (from dram down through two)shown in the second attachment. Can they be brailled as non-mathematical symbols and, if so, how?

[joannavenneri]

The second attachment (7237 medical terminology) is a blank page. Please scan and send again. The first attachment is unfortunately, not very clear, even when magnified. I am just an unfamiliar with these medical symbols as you are. I am asking you to specifically identify which symbols you want suggestions for. I am not sure which symbols have a line over the letter and which have a dot. The w0 symbol for without may not have lines over it at all. I think those might be stray marks. What do you think?

In general I am not sure exaqctly which symbols you are referring to. Some of these may indeed be math symbols and I'm happy to get further information. Please try to send improved copies that are clearer and please specify excactly which symbols you are asking about.

--Joanna

[Chris Clemens]

Couple of typos. I meant to say I am just AS unfmiliar with these terms as you are.

--Joanna

[joannavenneri]

We apologize for the poor quality of the scans. I created a Word document which I am attaching that shows the medical symbols in question. I hope it will provide a better image. We look forward to your ideas on how to present these in braille. Thank you.

Marie Amerson

[Chris Clemens]

MUCH better. Thanks for taking the extra effort. I have a solution to suggest but I need one more answer. Is there a place in the book that lists out the symbols and gives the definition? If there is such a page, please scan and send it. I see the symbols now, but I want to see the print--how the book actually defines each symbol, if there is such a page. If there isn't, just let me know and we'll use what we have. I want to know, for instance, whether the book identifies the symbol as "ounce" or "oz," and so forth.

--Joanna

[joannavenneri]

The transcriber with this question has left for the day, and it will be Tuesday before we can pull another page to copy. Unfortunately, I'm afraid the quality will not be any better than the first scanned pages.
But, in answer to your question about how they appear with the words - the meaning of the word is spelled out fully and not abbreviated. For instance, ounce is spelled out in a column beside its symbol, much like the document I sent. Both of the pages we previously attempted to provide show the information in such columns, though I think the transcriber said some of the text explains the meaning of the symbols as well.
Hope this helps you help us, but if not, we'll work toward gathering more information for you on Tuesday.
Thanks so much for the time you are taking with this.
Marie Amerson

[joannavenneri]

That's all I wanted to know. Here's the suggested solution.

These are not the standard print abbreviations that we are accustomed to in braille, like oz, ft, in, and so on. These are also not the standard print symbols that we also are accustomed to in braille like $ and %. The braille symbol for print sign is dot 4. So for Rx you will identificy that as

[simbraille]@prescrip;n[/simbraille]

Even a familiar one like 1/2 gets a dot 4 because it is shown by the technical medical symbol.

[simbraille]@#a/b[/simbraille]

Write a TN that explains that these technical medical symbols are used in print. Use the same term that the book uses for medical symbols. Maybe it's just medical symbols. Then list each one with its braille followed by the same identification that is given in the book.

I know that's a lot of dots for some of these, but that is the way the reader will know that a technical symbol is used there. It accurately conveys the print.

We are not concerned with what that print symbol actually looks like. We don't describe symbols (except in certain rare cases for a specific reason). We don't describe what the percent sign looks like in print, for instance. We just list it with its braille equivalent. I'm suggesting that you do the same here. And since there is no braille eqivalent, use the dot 4 with identification and that tells the reader that the medical symbol that means that is what it in the print. Use the identifications as given in the print. In that way, we faithfully follow the print. Don't forget the TN first that explains all this.

--Joanna

[joannavenneri]

One more thing--I see a medical symbol for "every." You can show that with dot e4 even though it normally means "euro" because you will list it that was as a special symbol and "euro" will not be on your special symbols list. However, if you do have a euro symbol in this book, then list your "every" symbol.

[simbraille]@ev]y[/simbraille]

But only do this if you really do have a euro sign in the book. Otherwise, dot 4e for the every symbol.

--Joanna

[joannavenneri]

Oops. You will list it what WAY not WAS.

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