Glossary of EMT-B abbreviations

Last updated: 1999 03 26

Here are some EMT-level abbreviations that I've come across and am working to
incorporate into the Subjective Assessment and Objective Physical Assessment
and Comments sections of my own PCR's (Prehospital Care Reports). I collected
these from a number of sources and they are not necessarily reflective of
conventions used in our responding area. I've tried to eliminate more esoteric
abbreviations that may only be appropriate for ALS PCR's.
If you have any favorites of your own, comments on the ones here, or samples of
realistic made-up PCR entries for me to post here (along with your name as
submitter), please send them to me at mvfdwebmaster@wellhost.com. Whoever
can make up the PCR entry that is most realistic and uses the most
abbreviations wins the prize for succinctness (though not necessarily the prize for
clarity!)
I have marked some of these as (diagnosis?), which means that it sounds to me
like the kind of term you would use for diagnosis, not for the assessments that
are currently favored in EMT-B protocols. It is possible, however, that such
diagnostic terms would be appropriate in reporting the patient's medical history.
Some terms are marked (ALS?) which means that I think these terms are more
likely to be used by ALS folks, not EMT-B folks (see diagnosis above).

[up Increased
arrow]
[down Decreased MCI Multiple Casualty Incident
arrow] MNFx4 Motor/Neural Function times 4
[triangle] change (delta) (extremeties). (Obsolete,
replaced by PMSx4)
[circle no, none, null
w/slash] MI Myocardial Infarction
(diagnosis?)
[wavy approximately
equal ml (mL) MilliLiter
sign] mm MilliMeter
(+) Present/Found (written as a MOI Mechanism Of Injury
circle with a plus sign in it)
MVA Motor Vehicle Accident
(-) Not Present/Negative (written n/c Nasal Cannula
as a circle with a minus sign in N&V Nausea & Vomiting
it) (n/v)
O+ Female (drawn as the female NA Not Applicable
symbol, circle with a cross
underneath, sometimes NAD No Acute Distress (or, No
written sideways like here). Apparent Distress)
O-> Male (drawn as the male NB NewBorn
symbol, circle with an arrow NG NasoGastric
on upper right, sometimes
written sideways like here). NIDDM Non-Insulin Dependent
Diabetes Mellitis
@ at
NKA No Known Allergy/allergies
< less than
NKDA No Known Drug Allergies
>< greater than
NPO Nothing by mouth
AAO Alert, Awake, and Oriented
(see CAO) NRB Non-Rebreather Mask
abd Abdomen NSR Normal Sinus Rhythm (ALS?)
abn Abnormal NTG NitroGlycerin
Adm. Administered O2 Oxygen
AM Morning OB Obstetrics
AMA Against Medical Advice OD Overdose
ant. Anterior OD right eye (possible confusion
with OD: OverDose)
APE Acute Pulmonary Edema
OLMC OnLine Medical Control
ASAP As Soon As Possible
OS left eye
ASA Aspirin
oz Ounce
ATT At This Time
PASG Pneumatic AntiShock Garment
ausc Auscultation (e.g., MAST trousers)
ax Axillary PCN Penicillin
bilat Bilateral PE Physical Exam, as in PE 2nd
BP Blood Pressure ("Second Physical Exam")
BS Breath Sounds PEARL Pupils Equal And Reactive to
Light
BSA Body Surface Area
PFA Psychological First Aid
BVM Bag-Valve Mask
PM Afternoon/evening
c/o Complaining Of
PMH Past Medical History
Ca Cancer (diagnosis?)
PMH/O Past Medical History Of...
CAO Concious, Alert and Oriented,
as in CAOx3 (Jeff made this PMSx4 Pulse/Motor/Sensory times 4
up: "Concious, Alert and (extremities). (Replaces
MNFx4)
 Oriented times 3", the "3" post. Posterior
meaning Person, Place, Time. PO (p.o.) by mouth, orally
CC Chief Complaint PP Post Partum (after delivery of a
CHF Congestive Heart Failure baby)
(diagnosis?) PR Pulse Rate (also, see HR)
CO Carbon Monoxide, note: this is PRN as needed
not the same as CO2. Carbon
monoxide is a by-product of PSM Pulse, Sensory & Motor
combustion (e.g., poorly functions
ventilated oil burners) and PSDE Painful, Swollen, Deformed
attaches to the Oxygen Extremity
receptors on hemoglobin,
interferring with the bodies Pt. Patient
ability to achieve respiration. Qd Every Day
CO2 Carbon Dioxide, note: this is Qh Every Hour
not the same as CO. CO2 is a
qid 4 times per day
natural product of respiration.
(R) Right (written as circle with "R"
COPD Chronic Obstructive
inside)
Pulmonary Disease, e.g.,
emphysema R/O Rule Out (ALS? - term/concept
CSF Cerebral-Spinal Fluid, this not currently in favor with
might appear as a clear fluid EMT-B)
draining from ears or nose in RLQ Right Lower Quadrant
the case of a head injury RMA Refused Medical
(implying the need for head Assistance/aid (be sure to get
immobilization). release signed!)
CVA CerebroVascular Accident ROM Range Of Motion
(stroke) (diagnosis?)
RSR Regular Sinus Rhythm (ALS?)
cx Chest
RUQ Right Upper Quadrant
DM Diabetes Mellitus
Rx prescription, therapy,
DNR Do Not Resucitate (there is a treatment
form for this in NYS that some
patients or their families may S/S Signs & Symptoms
produce -- see the NYS (S/Sx)
protocol) SL Sub-Lingual
DOA Dead On Arrival SLUDGE Salivation, Lacrimation,
DOE Dyspnea on Exertion Urination, Defecation,
Gastrointestinal Distress,
DSD Dry, Sterile Dressing Emesis
dsg Dressing SOB Shortness of Breath, as in
Dx Diagnosis (diagnosis?) (+)SOB ("Present: Shortness
EBL Estimated Blood Loss of Breath")
SSCP Sub-Sternal Chest Pain
EENT Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat
ENT Ears, Nose, and Throat stat immediately
ET Endotracheal SW Stab Wound
ETOH Alcohol Sx Symptoms
fd Found, as in fd 29 y/o wm Pt. Sz Siezure
c/o cx pain ("found 29 year-old T Temperature
white male patient
complaining of chest pain") TIA Transient Ischemic Attack
(sounds to me like a diagnosis,
FH Family History of...
not an assessment)
fv Fever tid 3 times per day
fx Fracture (diagnosis? In EMG- TPR Temperature, Pulse and
B assessments, we tend to
Respiration
use non-diagnostic terms, like
PSDE) TX Therapy (possible confusion
with tx: transport)
GCS Glasgow Coma Score (more
information if you report the txp (tx) Transported, as in txp -> PCH
scores in triplets, as in ("Transported to Putnam
4/5/6=15) County Hospital")
GI GastroIntestinal U Unit
GSW Gun Shot Wound URI Upper Respiratory Infection
(diagnosis?)
h. Hour
V-Fib Ventricular Fibrillation (ALS?)
H&P History and Physical (VF)
examination
VS (v/s) Vital Signs, as in VS Slightly
H/A HeadAche Elevated
H/S History (also used: hx) V-Tach Ventricular Tachycardia
H2O Water (ALS?)
HEENT Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and VSWNL Vital Signs Within Normal
Throat Limits
HPI History of Present Illness w/ With...
HR Heart Rate (also, see PR) w/o Without...
(include Strength and WOI WithOut Incident
Regularity)
WNL Within Normal Limits
HTN Hypertension (high blood
pressure) wt Weight
hx History (also used: H/S) X Times, as in 3x/d ("3 times per
day")
IDDM Insulin-Dependent Diabetes
Mellitis y/o (y.o.) Year Old, as in 29 y/o wm ("29
year-old white male")
JVD Jugular Venous Distension, as
in (-)JVD ("negative jugular
venous distension")
kg Kilogram (1 kg = 2.2 lb)
(L) Left (written as circle with "L"
inside)
L Liter
L/m Liters per Minute
L/S Lung Sounds (also see LS),
as in L/S CL bilat ("lung
sounds clear, bilaterally")
lb Pound (1 lb = 0.45 kg, 100 lbs
= 45 "Kilos")
LLQ Left Lower Quadrant
LOC Loss Of Consciousness
LUQ Left Upper Quadrant
LS Lung Sounds (also see L/S)
LZ Landing Zone

Sample PCR statements

? fd 29 y/o wm Pt. c/o cx pain (Jeff Kelley)
Found 29 year-old white male patient complaining of chest pain
? txp -> WCMC WOI (Jeff Kelley)
Transported to Westchester County Medical Center without incident