Spinal disc or disk? I see it both ways. nm

NM

• Spinal disc or disk? I see it both ways. nm - MT
  • Completely up to the client - but standard is disk
  • you probably need to ask what the account wants on that one. - anon
    • opps - that's if they say...(fingers numb) NM - anon
  • Disc is in CD (read the label). Disk as in body part. nm - If you ask me
  • Back in the day, disk was for eye, disc was for spine, - LA
  • I work for a chiropractor and he likes disc. - nm
  • this is what I was told over the years. - mtme3
  • I don't know what BOS says, but my company says - me
  • Disc or Disk - Old School

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I don't know who wrote this, but I found it online long ago.  Since I was told I was spelling "disc" wrong by other MTs (never by a doctor), I decided to research this matter and found this at http://www.stedmans.com/MTFeaturePrint.cfm/1324.

disc vs disk

 a 4-letter word

To what extent should one research the spelling of a word when there is more than one way to spell it? I suppose the answer would depend on a number of things, not the least of which is how much time one has to invest in word research. Productivity and therefore one’s pay suffers when ears, hands, and feet leave their transcription mode for any period of time.

If the word in question is a mere 4-letter word, it seems reasonable to believe that any one of respected resources would provide an appropriate spelling, so why bother with much research. Let’s face it, four-letter-word vocabularies are usually subject to more creative spellings than misspellings. However, because I was working on a special project, I decided to put to rest, once and for all time, the correct spelling of disc/disk as used in surgical dictation for a lumbar discectomy/diskectomy. Four hours and several resources later, I was sure I had my answer.

Au contraire.

I began my search in Stedman’s Medical 27^th Edition. It is after all my medical dictionary of choice. Clearly the preference for disc/disk when referring to the spine is “disc.” I disagreed. My preferred spelling was “disk” for all things spinal, so I checked the AMA Manual Style. To my delight, they agreed with me. In fact, it clearly states that one should use “disc” for ophthalmologic terms and “disk” for the remainder of the anatomy.

Dr. Dirckx, noted medical language expert, explained disc/disk it in an article that appears in the January 2002 issue of JAAMT. His article begins, “As you have no doubt discovered, reference works show a striking lack of consistency in the spelling of this term.” Amen to that!

I almost always use Vera Pyle’s book for confirmation, she being the all-time guru and grande dame of medical vocabulary. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She directs that one use “disk” when transcribing ophthalmologic dictation and “disc” for the remainder of the anatomy.

All right, the gloves came off. Next stop, the revered AAMT Book of Style. “We recommend the spelling disk for all anatomic and surgical references …” I was satisfied and feeling pretty smug, so I declared the victory to a member of Stedman’s staff and suggested that the Stedman’s Dictionary team look into changing “disc” preference to “disk” in their new edition.

It is a good feeling to be right, and I was feeling real good. That is, until the S27 research team took my suggestion and consulted the world experts in medical terminology. Who are they? “They” are the Federative International Committee on Anatomical Terminology, and “they” are the final word. Chairman Ian Whitmore states that Latin is the basis for the world's official terminology as found in Terminologia Anatomica (TA). Want to know more about TA? It is explained in S27 and makes interesting reading.

And just what do the world experts say about disk/disc? Disc is in for all things medical; disk is out. Why? Because Latin terms have official status and, though the origin of the word is from the Greek term “diskos, the Latin derivation is “discus.”

So, my fellow word junkies, if you have always used “disk” as your preferred spelling in all things anatomical, today is the day to change because “disc” is correct in the eyes of the world.

bilateral laminectomy and medial facetectomy, decompression __________ equina.  This is the second time tonight and I cannot catch the word prior to equina...any help>

Thanks

from it's owner to transfer the voice files from the handheld to the computer. 

I have company issued computer with IT.  I would like to know if I could move IT to a CD or disk so that I can put it on my personal computer.  I have greatly expanded the glossary to cover my area of expertise over the last one year and do not want to lose this.  In fact, I think I would break down and cry if I did.  Plus, am thinking of taking on a PT job and would like to utilize this IT on my other computer.

Thank you.

For copyright protection, IT restricts itself from being able to be copied onto a disk and installed onto another computer. The only way to install it is to use the installation disk.

The glossaries, however, can be backed up onto a seperate disk, just not the actual program itself.

Technically, the hospital owns the license so installing it on a personal computer would violate the license agreement. If you would like to have it on your own computer, it is recommended to purchase your own copy so you don't have to worry about anything with the license agreement.

I used to work for a Jewish lawyer and received Jewish holidays off (paid), along with all other paid holidays (including Christmas.)

The difference is that Christmas is a FEDERAL holiday, in fact, the ONLY religious FEDERAL holiday where most people are paid regardless of their religious beliefs.  So people of other religious beliefs celebrate the *secular* Christmas, which is supposed to mean happiness, charity, gift-giving and especially tolerance.  Your post gives me the impression that you want to investigate and judge every American's religious beliefs and deprive them of the holiday if their beliefs don't match yours.  This is a pretty scary thought, especially because of the recently discovered practice of the government's illegal wire-tapping and spying of Americans under the guise of terrorism.

So maybe this issue isn't really about Christmas at all.  Maybe it's just about personal freedom, and personally, I find what's happening in this country to Americans almost as terrifying as the terrorists themselves. 

I didn't see Frontline but have read and discussed the WalMart issue in depth over the years.

As I understand it, what separates WalMart from other large department and grocery stores is their business practices. WalMart dictates the price they're going to pay manufacturers for the goods going on the WalMart shelf. If the manufacturer doesn't cut his price to meet WalMart's demands, the store will just move on and stock a different company's brand. (So maybe Bounty cut a deal to get their product distributed thru WalMart but Marcal paper towels couldn't, for example.) The manufacturer is then faced with having to trim his margins while producing more to meet the higher distribution of having WalMart's business. Some companies are much more able and willing to do that than others.

But there is a mentality there that I just personally have a problem with.

To me it's like the hospital telling the MTSO that they're only going to pay 10 cents a line, period. The MTSO will have to slash her profits and likely the rates she's giving to her ICs or employees in order to keep the work coming in. OR, the MTSO may decide it makes more sense for her to get ICs that are willing to work at a much lesser rate (like those in India) so she can keep her business profits steady. This forces the MTSO's hand in a way that I feel is unjust, as her options are quite limited. No business owner or worker wants to go backward income-wise as the years pass, but this is the kind of thing that WalMart is doing to business people. It sounds to me like many hospitals and physician practices do business the WalMart way, and I think we need to walk the talk. If you shop at WalMart to save a few cents, do so knowing that you're supporting a company policy in the process. I do shop there on occassion, I admit, but I keep it to a minimum because I don't want to contribute to WalMart's success. 

Good opportunity, while I have the soapbox, is to share something that has been on my mind for years as this offshoring issue has snowballed. I think the saddest outcome of all this is the illwill that has been fostered among so many us. Some of us get on a high horse about where we shop and don't shop, others resent that they have to run from to store to store, cutting coupons, just to get by every month and they last thing they want is to be preached at. Often there seems that there's not enough compassion or understanding, and to me, this devisiveness among people is just a horrible outcome as the loss of American jobs.

I also cringe when I read posts that just reek of bigotry toward Indians, Pakistanis, Canadians, etc. who wind up with work because a company thousounds of miles away made a business decision. Everyday working people, whether they're in Bangalore, Ontario, or Erie PA, do what's best for themselves and their families. I hope that no matter where we each stand on this complex issue that we don't allow ourselves to become mean-spirited and bitter people over it.