FUEL REQUIRED -- DISPATCH RELEASE FUEL WAS IMPROPERLY CHANGED.

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INBOUND EQUIP LATE; CHANGE CREW AND START PREFLT FOLLOWING LAST PAX DEPLANED. DURING PREFLT; I AM HANDED AN ACARS MESSAGE WHICH I CONCLUDED WAS A LEFTOVER MESSAGE FOR THE INBOUND FLT. THE MESSAGE OFFERED NO FLT NUMBER -- ONLY TAIL NUMBER AND ORIGINATION CITY. THE INTENT OF THE MESSAGE WAS AN AMENDMENT OF RELEASE FUEL TO 19.3. FUELING HAD STOPPED AT 17.4 WITH RELEASE AT 16.8. AFTER PUSHBACK AND PRIOR TO TAXI -- RECEIVED AN ACARS REQUEST FROM LOAD TO CONFIRM FUEL OF 17.4 RATHER THAN 19.3 AT THAT POINT. I REALIZED THE MESSAGE IN QUESTION INTENDED OUR RELEASE FUEL TO BE 19.3. IAH OPS WAS CALLED TO REQUEST FROM DISPATCH A NEW RELEASE FUEL OF 17.4. 17.4 WAS APPROVED WITH HARD COPY. THE INCORRECT CONCLUSION/CONFUSION ON MY PART MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE MESSAGE HAD ADDRESSED US BY FLT NUMBER AND CITY ORIGINATION -- CITY DEST AS THE CLOSE-OUT DOES. WITHOUT THIS; THE EQUIP NUMBER AND CITY ORIGINATION ONLY SEEMED BURIED IN THE ARRAY OF OTHER NUMBERS AND LETTERS. ABBREVIATIONS IN THE TEXT ARE UNDERSTANDABLE ALBEIT SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET. THE ADDRESSEE PORTION OF THE MESSAGE; I BELIEVE; SHOULD BE MORE EXACT.