A-Z list of terms
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
adviser use advisor
advisor rather than adviser
age-related macular degeneration (hyphen)
anaemia (English spelling) rather than anemia
angle-closure glaucoma (hyphen)
B
blind institutions use institutions for blind people
blind schools use schools for blind children
blind trial use masked trial
C
cadre use level or discipline
CD-ROM
chairman use chair or chairperson
Christian Blind Mission International (CBMI)
rather than Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM)
Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM)
use Christian Blind Mission International (CBMI)
community-based (hyphen)
contra-indication (hyphen)
contra-lateral (hyphen)
co-ordination (hyphen)
co-ordinator (hyphen)
cost-recovery (hyphen)
D
decision-makers (hyphen)
decision-making (hyphen)
developing countries consider using as an alternative low-income countries
double-blind trial use double-masked trial
E
east not capitalised, unless part of an accepted geographical designation
e.g. comma before
email (one word)
et al.
etc. comma before if more than one term precedes
evidence-based (hyphen)
extracapsular (one word)
eye care
F
follow-up (noun)
follow up (verb)
G
glasses use spectacles
H
haemorrhage (English spelling) rather than hemorrhage
hand-held probe
health care
Helen Keller International (HKI)
hemorrhage use haemorrhage
high-frequency ultrasound (hyphen)
I
in-patients (hyphen)
international students rather than overseas or foreign students
internet (lower case)
intracapsular (one word)
intraocular (one word)
L
-like always a hyphen when used as a suffix (flu-like symptoms)
long-term control (hyphen)
LV Prasad Eye Institute
M
man hours use work hours
manpower use personnel or human resources
N
nerve fiber use nerve fibre (English spelling)
nerve fibre (English spelling) rather than nerve fiber
non- always a hyphen when used as a prefix (non-clinical)
north not capitalised, unless part of an accepted geographical designation
O
old person use elderly person
open-access publication (hyphen)
open-angle glaucoma (hyphen)
operation rather than surgery (when you mean the surgical act: to perform a cataract operation)
ORBIS International (capitalise as shown)
out-of-date (hyphens)
out-patients (hyphen)
overseas students use international students
P
PO Box
policy makers (no hyphen)
policy making (no hyphen)
post-operative (hyphen)
pre-operative (hyphen)
program use programme (English spelling)
programme (English spelling) rather than program
R
randomised rather than randomized
ready-made (hyphen)
Roll Back Malaria
S
Schiötz tonometer
Sight And Life (capitalise as shown) rather than Task Force Sight and Life
Sightsavers International
slit lamp (no hyphen)
Snellen’s chart
socioeconomic, sociocultural (no hyphen)
south not capitalised, unless part of an accepted geographical designation
spectacles rather than glasses
subconjonctival (no hyphen)
sub-specialist (hyphen)
sub-specialty (hyphen)
surgery (meaning the surgical act itself) use operation
T
Tenon’s (apostrophy)
The Extended Vaccination Programme
Third World use developing countries or low-income countries
-type always a hyphen when used as a suffix
U
US $ (space between US and dollar sign)
V
VISION 2020: The Right to Sight (capitalise as shown)
visually disabled use visually impaired
visually handicapped use visually impaired
W
website (one word)
west not capitalised, unless part of an accepted geographical designation
workman-like use professional or skilled
