Use abbreviations if you: A. want to save time. B. are speaking to a mixed audience of health care professionals and lay people. C. know you will not be misunderstood by the listener. D. are tired of having to spell out the names of particular conditions.

Use abbreviations if you: C. know you will not be misunderstood by the listener. An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. It may also consist of initials or words or letters representing words in another language. Some types of abbreviations are acronyms, initialisms, or grammatical contractions. Sometimes, abbreviations can be confusing, so it is very important to use them when you know that the listener will understand.