Originally Posted by Fezz
Bahahaha to both of these!
Bahahaha to both of these!
Not a huge deal but I was taught that OU stood for "oculus uterque" Latin meaning for both eyes. Again not a huge deal as long as OU (no matter how you pronounce it in Latin) is understood to mean for both eyes and not for.......... out!!!
I know what you mean, but prism is a special case; my brain goes into hiccup mode when I see an O.U. prism Rx. Are both eyes, working simultaneously as a unit, expected to see xΔ, or should it be applied to each eye? It's just ambiguous enough to be considered improper use. Usually it's self correcting though- who wants to get a call every time you write a Rx that is open to interpretation? When was the last time you saw a ten degree axis written as 10°?
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. - Richard P. Feynman
Experience is the hardest teacher. She gives the test before the lesson.
I don't care if OU stands for Oculus in your Underwear. The proper way to state prism is to write OD and OS, even if they are the same. But I agree there is no way it should have been interpreted as BO. (Also stands for Body Odor).
And Barack Obama.
I've also seen OU said to mean oculus uniter.
No disrespect, but the proper way to write numbers and letters is the way my first grader is learning, and not the way many doctors, both OD's and MD's, write them. Never once did I learn in optician school that prism has to be written for each eye, although it certainly makes sense to write it that way. The issue isn't that my MD wrote the prism in a confusing manner, the issue is that some shlub in a notoriously craptastic discount chain told my patient something utterly ridiculous.
Just for full disclosure, this particular patient has been driving me crazy for the last 6 weeks about her glasses, her indecision concerning everything from material to frame choice driving me bonkers. While I would have liked to clock her on the head with a pd stick, I would never wish a wrong rx on someone, specially 3 diopters of prism in each eye going in the wrong direction.
BI or Base In, is self explanitory especially when combined with those other occular letters: TCH.
Oh why did I ever share that horrible LC story LOL, hard luck life I guess
I think it depends on the party...
A lack of planning on your part DOES NOT constitute an emergency on mine!
you can't have it both ways.
It's my way or the highway.
And a 7 with a strike through it to distinguish it from a 2. Just sayin'
Believe me, as an optician, I know it's never going to be my way! LOL
The use of ou is clinical and is accepted practice in the ophthalmic community for clinical file/note use.
From Manual of Ophthalmic terminology Harold A Stein, Bernard J. Slatt, Pennu Cook
Appendix A.......Short forms in clinical use.
"ou means both eyes(oculi unitas)"
Eyes wide open
It is proper to use OU when you are referring to things like blepharitis or conjunctivitis in both eyes, or referring to putting drops in both eyes...but it is not proper when referring to prescribed prism.
I think I've said all I'm gonna say about this.
I can read your frustration, and understand you final comment, Doc. From the OD's perspective, I am sure you are correct. In my many years, however, I worked closely with folks (largely Ophthalmologists) who often would use this terminology (BI OU). My points were that any competent Optician would have been able to understand it, and I hope that did not add to your frustration. I enjoy you being here, and find your additions to the discussion often bring clarity to issues.
Best,
Warren
When I first read this, I saw THC. Too much THC could have been a problem, also.
Maybe it's a regional thing, maybe you mean interactions between doctors and/or staff, or maybe it's just an old school practice that still exists (OMDs only), but the OMDs in S.E. Wisconsin write prescribed prism the way fjpod recommends: power and cardinal base directions for each eye. How did you handle vertical prism? 2^ BU OU will get a call, although I've filled those on occasion. How about OD 4^ BI, OS blank? That will get a call as well. Although my practice is low volume, I average about two prescribed prism Rxs a week. That's a lot of calls to verify intentions!
My two cents.
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. - Richard P. Feynman
Experience is the hardest teacher. She gives the test before the lesson.
Vertical prism would not be written in that fashion, and if it were only unilateral, it would be written as such. BI OU should not have been misinterpreted anywhere.
I think we need to advance a little and prescribe prism based on on the 360 degree designation, specified each eye. No questions on splitting this way, and compound prism is a piece of cake.
I have seen BU OU quite often. YOKED PRISM
yes...but, whether the stated amount of prism is intended for each eye or to be split between both eyes (split) is open to interpretation. Why not just avoid confusion and just say od and os.
Just because people do it doesn't make it right. It is potentially confusing in some cases.
The effect of bilateral vertical prism in the same direction is 0, even in Brooklyn. Why would you see this often?
Our lab processes around 200,000 pair per year, and we see a handful of "prescribed" yoked prism per year. Nearly every one turns out to be a tech entry error.
Perhaps he's thinking of prism thinning for progressives.
Wesley S. Scott, MBA, MIS, ABOM, NCLE-AC, LDO - SC & GA
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” -Albert Einstein
The concept of yoked prism does not imply same direction necessarily, Wes, as you know, so the use of this term to describe bilateral, same-base direction vertical prism is not completely correct either. Cases of individuals with a fused spine or some other condition of this sort may demand a need for such a concept, but that is far-fetched to say the least. I would advise a review of the concept of yoked prism for those not aware.
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