It's etc and not ect!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Did you ever notice that people (allnurses members, e.g.) will write "ect" when they mean "etc"?

Et cetera, abbreviated to etc. is a Latin expression used in English to mean "and other things", or "and so forth". Translated literally from Latin, et means 'and', while cetera means 'the rest'; thus the expression means 'and the rest (of such things)'.

Whereas "ect"...

1767546151_etcnotect.png.341974907e84538362ccb8022bfa79e0.png

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), often referred to as shock treatment, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in patients to provide relief from mental disorders.

Big difference.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Davey, just FYI - some computer 'spellchecker' applications will read ECT as an error automatically and correct it to ETC.

Another frequent one is the auto conversion of CNA (the nurse aide) to CAN. That one used to drive me nuts.

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
Davey, just FYI - some computer 'spellchecker' applications will read ECT as an error automatically and correct it to ETC.

So if someone wants an ECT they're just going to get an et cetera abbreviation?

That really singes my shorts!

Another frequent one is the auto conversion of CNA (the nurse aide) to CAN. That one used to drive me nuts.

I can understand your frustration, amoLucia!

Because if you wanted to CAN a CNA, you would only be doing a a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music hall dance in the 1840s known as the CAN CAN!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

Like etc, most medical abbreviations come from the Latin. Which reminds me of something that happened on an episode of Gilligan's Island:

An undersea telephone cable had washed on the island. The Professor tapped into it (probably by using coconuts), was able to listen to transmissions and heard a non-English speaking voice. The Skipper asked, "Does anyone know any foreign language?" The Professor replied, "I know Latin!" And Mr. Howell said, "That's great! If we reach a Pharmacist!"

Anyway, as I was saying, most medical abbreviations come from the Latin. We use to use them all the time, but I guess a lot of mistakes were being made in the translation.

According to one of my journals from 2004, Wrongway Regional Medical Center cut down on the use of Latin abbreviations. For example (e.g.), we were to no longer use the abbreviation O.D.

O.D. could be interpreted as "once a day" (omne in die) or "right eye" (oculus dexter).

I can see how that could be a problem.

This is an edited cartoon from my journal dated 7.3.04:

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Specializes in school nurse.

People who use 'ect' instead of 'etc' should loose their licenses...

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
People who use 'ect' instead of 'etc' should loose their licenses...

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Like etc, most medical abbreviations come from the Latin. Which reminds me of something that happened on an episode of Gilligan's Island:

An undersea telephone cable had washed on the island. The Professor tapped into it (probably by using coconuts), was able to listen to transmissions and heard a non-English speaking voice. The Skipper asked, "Does anyone know any foreign language?" The Professor replied, "I know Latin!" And Mr. Howell said, "That's great! If we reach a Pharmacist!"

Anyway, as I was saying, most medical abbreviations come from the Latin. We use to use them all the time, but I guess a lot of mistakes were being made in the translation.

According to one of my journals from 2004, Wrongway Regional Medical Center cut down on the use of Latin abbreviations. For example (e.g.), we were to no longer use the abbreviation O.D.

O.D. could be interpreted as "once a day" (omne in die) or "right eye" (oculus dexter).

I can see how that could be a problem.

This is an edited cartoon from my journal dated 7.3.04:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27688[/ATTACH]

I'm sure the Professor and Mary Ann had a thing going.

The real reason O.D. was stopped is because everyone was confusing it with OldDude.

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So sad!

They eventually said "qd" and "gtts" and most of the rest of it was "confusing" too. It was all so much more romantic written the old way!

I'll tell you who should loose their licenses - - people who do away with all the good stuff. Those darn changeophiles. [Translation: "one that loves, likes, or is attracted to change"]

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
The real reason O.D. was stopped is because everyone was confusing it with OldDude.

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
People who use 'ect' instead of 'etc' should loose their licenses...

Yes they should cuz they have probably had too many ECT

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.
So sad!

They eventually said "qd" and "gtts" and most of the rest of it was "confusing" too. It was all so much more romantic written the old way!

I'll tell you who should loose their licenses - - people who do away with all the good stuff. Those darn changeophiles. [Translation: "one that loves, likes, or is attracted to change"]

I agree, we went from longhand to shorthand back to longhand.

Yes, fire those changeophiles!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
So sad!

They eventually said "qd" and "gtts" and most of the rest of it was "confusing" too. It was all so much more romantic written the old way!

However, we can still use those romantic abbreviations in our own personal notes, e.g. shift report.

I use some of my own abbreviations and symbols. Speaking of change, if a patient that I know well has no change, I use a Delta sign and glyph:

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