EMT Abbreviation/Acronym

ICD (AICD)

(Automatic) Internal Cardiac Defibrillator

qid

4 times a day

AKA

Above the Knee Amputation

AIDS

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

AMI

Acute Myocardial Infarction (sudden occurrence of heart attack)

ARDS

Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

ACLS

Advanced Cardiac Life Support

ALS

Advanced Life Support

AMA

Against Medical Advice

ABC

Airway, Breathing, Circulation

AOTB

Alcohol Odor To Breath

ARF

Ambulance Report Form

amp.

Ampule

AP

Anterior Posterior

ASHD

Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease (medical history of hardening of the arteries)

ASAP

As Soon As Possible

ASA

Aspirin

A & B

Assault and Battery

A-Fib or AF

Atrial Fibrillation

A Tach or AT

Atrial Tachycardia

AV

Atrioventricular (node, part of the electrical control system of the heart that coordinates the top of the heart)

AED

Automated External Defibrillator

AAOX [1, 2, OR 3]

Awake (Alert) and Oriented times 1 (person), 2 (person and place), 3 (person, place, and time)

A & O X [1, 2, or 3]

Awake and Oriented times 1 (person), 2 (person and place), 3 (person, place, and time)

BVM

Bag Valve Mask

BOW

Bag of Waters (used to indicate if pregnant females amniotic sac has ruptured or not)

BKA

Below the Knee Amputation

HCO3

Bicarbonate

BP

Blood Pressure

BSI

Body Substance Isolation

BSA

Body Surface Area (used to estimate % of patients burns)

BM

Bowel Movement

BS

Breath Sounds

BBB

Bundle Branch Block

CaCL

Calcium Chloride

Ca

Cancer

CO2

Carbon Dioxide (waste product of cellular metabolism. Our body gets rid of CO2 when we exhale through our lungs)

pCO2

Carbon Dioxide Pressure

CO

Carbon Monoxide (product of incomplete combustion in enclosed and/ or poorly ventilated areas. CO takes the place of oxygen on the hemoglobin. This in turn causes the patient to die from inadequate oxygen for cells and often gives the patient a cherry red color to skin.)

CPA

Cardiopulmonary Arrest (cessation of pulse and breathing)

CPR

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

C˚

Centigrade

CNS

Central Nervous System

CSF

Cerebrospinal Fluid

CVA

Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke or Brain Attack, sudden death of some brain cells due to lack of oxygen when the blood flow to the brain is impaired)

C-section

Cesarean section

CP

Chest Pain or Cerebral Palsy

C/C

Chief Complaint

COPD

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (irreversible lung disease which includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic asthma)

CL

Clear

commo.

Communication

CBC

Complete Blood Count

CHB

Complete Heart Block

CAT scan (CT scan)

Computerized Axial Tomography

CHF

Congestive Heart Failure

CABG

Coronary Artery Bypass Graph (open heart surgery to replace blood vessel(s) feeding the heart muscle)

CAD

Coronary Artery Disease (medical history of heart disease)

CCU

Coronary Care Unit

DOA

Dead On Arrival

DVT

Deep Vein Thrombosis

DTs

Delirium Tremens (tremors of shakes because of acute alcohol withdrawals)

D5W

Dextrose 5% in Water

DM

Diabetes Mellitus

Dx

Diagnosis

D & C

Dilatation and Curettage

DPT

Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus vaccine

DNR

Do Not Resuscitate

Dr.

Doctor

DOE

Dyspnea On Exertion (SOB On Exertion)

ENT

Ear Nose Throat

ECG (EKG)

Electrocardiogram (electrical recording of your heart)

EEG

Electroencephalogram (electrical recording of brain waves)

ED

Emergency Department

EMS

Emergency Medical Services

EMSS

Emergency Medical Services System

EMT

Emergency Medical Technician

ER

Emergency Room

ET, ETT

Endotracheal Tube (breathing tube the MICT inserts into patient's trachea)

Epi

Epinephrine

EOA

Esophageal Obturator Airway

EBL

Estimated Blood Loss

EDC

Estimated Date of Confinement

ETA

Estimated Time of Arrival

ETOH

Ethyl Alcohol

EPS

Extrapyramidal Symptoms

F˚

Fahrenheit

Ft.

Feet

FHT

Fetal Heart Tones (heart rate of unborn baby)

FUO

Fever of Unknown Origin

GB

Gallbladder

GI

Gastrointestinal (e.g. GI Bleed)

GU

Genitourinary (refers to the organs of reproduction & urinary system)

GCS

Glasgow Coma Scale (a scale to measure CNS (Central Nervous System) function)

GSW

Gun Shot Wound

GYN

Gynecology (study of diseases particular to woman)

HCFD

Hawaii County Fire Department

HAZMAT

Hazardous Materials

HA

Headache

Hb, hgb

Hemoglobin (part of the red blood cells which carry oxygen)

HBP

High Blood Pressure

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (causes AIDS)

HCTZ

Hydrochlorothiazide

HTN

Hypertension (medical term for high blood pressure)

ICS

Incident Command System

ICU

Intensive Care Unit

IPPB

Intermittent Positive Pressure Breathing

ICB

Intracranial Bleed

ICP

Intracranial Pressure (pressure within the skull)

IM

Intramuscular (medication administered into the muscle)

IO

Intraosseous (medication route through the bone for very young pediatric patients)

IV

Intravenous (medication or fluid route through the veins)

IVP

Intravenous Push

JVD

Jugular Venous Distention (distended external jugular vein)

KVO

Keep Vein Open (e.g. run the IV at KVO rate)

Lac.

Laceration (jagged wound edges)

LBBB

Left Bundle Branch Block

lido.

Lidocaine (prescription drug may treat AMI, V-Tach)

M.D.

Medical Doctor

Hg

Mercury

mid.

Middle

MAST

Military (medical) Anti-Shock Trousers

MICT

Mobile Intensive Care Technician

MS

Morphine Sulfate or Multiple Sclerosis

MVC

Motor Vehicle Collision

MI

Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)

NC

Nasal Cannula

NG tube

Nasogastric (tube inserted via the nose into the stomach)

NPA

Nasopharyngeal Airway

NTG

Nitroglycerine (medication to dilate blood vessels of the heart in hopes of relieving the chest pain)

NS

Normal Saline (e.g. 1 liter NS @ 30 gtts/min)

OB (OB/GYN)

Obstetrics (branch of study on pregnancy/ delivery)

OPA

Oropharyngeal Airway

O2

Oxygen

PAT

Paroxysmal Atrial Tachycardia

PND

Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea (sudden onset of difficulty in breathing after going to sleep)

PSVT

Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (a sudden occurrence or intensification of SVT, condition presenting as a rapid heart rhythm originating at or above the AV node)

PID

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (sexually transmitted disease which has spread to pelvic area of the female)

PASG

Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment

PEEP

Positive End Expiratory Pressure (the pressure in the lungs (alveolar pressure) above atmospheric pressure (the pressure outside of the body) that exists at the end of expiration)

PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

K+

Potassium

PJC

Premature Junctional Contraction

PVC

Premature Ventricular Contraction

RBBB

Right Bundle Branch Block

Sz

Seizure

SA

Sinoatrial (Node, pacemaker of the heart, generates impulses that cause the atria to contract)

sm.

Small

Na+

Sodium

NaHCO3

Sodium Bicarbonate

NaCl

Sodium Chloride

SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (sudden, unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant & not explained by autopsy)

tab.

Tablet

T1-T12

Thoracic vertebrae 1 to 12

TIA

Transient Ischemic Attack (stroke sx caused by brain tissue ischemia that completely resolves within 24 hours; although brief, they are an ominous sign of a full blown CVA)

TB

Tuberculosis (infectious disease primarily affecting the lung caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria)

URI

Upper Respiratory Infection

UTI

Urinary Tract Infection

VD

Venereal Disease (also known as STD)

VF, V-fib

Ventricular Fibrillation (chaotic electrical EKG rhythm and quivering heart muscle which is a major cause of sudden death in the pre-hospital environment)

V-Tach, VT

Ventricular Tachycardia

abd

abdomen

¯p

after

p.m.

afternoon

prn

as needed (e.g. take the pain med every 6 hours prn)

bpm

beats per minute

ā

before

bilat

bilateral

o.u.

both eye's

po

by mouth

cm

centimeter

c-collar

cervical collar

C1 to C7

cervical vertebrae 1 to 7

c/o

complains of

cc

cubic centimeter

DC

discontinue

gtt/gtts

drop/ drops (e.g. run IV fluid at 30 gtts/min)

q

every

q2h

every 2 hours

qh

every hour

e.g.

for example

fx

fracture

gal.

gallon

gm

gram

g3, p2

gravida 3 (3 pregnancies), para 2 (2 live births)

g1, or g2, etc

gravida {1,2, or etc. for number of pregnancies}

HR

heart rate

Hx

history

H & P

history and physical

H/O

history of

hr

hour

ID

identification

stat

immediately

in.

inch

kg

kilogram

lg

large

LMP

last menstrual period (we want to know when a female with abd pain knows when her last bleeding cycle was and if it was on its regular cycle and if it was normal)

lat.

lateral (side)

lt

left

o.s.

left eye

LLL

left lower lobe (referring to location in lung)

LLQ

left lower quadrant (referring to location in abdomen)

LUL

left upper lobe

LUQ

left upper quadrant

LOC

level of consciousness or loss of consciousness (depends on context)

L

liter

LPM

liters per minute

L/m (LPM)

litters per minute (e.g. administer the oxygen @ 4L/m)

L1-L5

lumbar vertebrae 1 to 5

max.

maximum

MAP

mean arterial pressure

m

meter

mcg

microgram

mEq.

milliequivalent

mg

milligram

mg%

milligram percent (blood sugar level reading recorded as this, e.g. 100 mg%)

ml

millileter

mm

millimeter (e.g. pupils are equal/reactive to light @ 3 mm)

mm Hg

millimeter of mercury (how BP reading is measured)

min.

minute

MCL

modified chest lead

mo (s)

month (s)

a.m.

morning

MAEW

moves all extremities well

N/V

nausea and vomiting

N/V/D

nausea, vomiting and diarrhea

neg

negative

NAD

no apparent distress

NKDA

no known drug allergies

Ø

none, negative, without

NSR

normal sinus rhythm (normal EKG complex and HR)

N/A

not applicable

N/D

not done

NPO

nothing by mouth

no.

number

para (p-#)

number of live births (in conjunction with gravid)

qd

once every day

OR

operating room

oz

ounce

OD

overdose

pO2

oxygen pressure or tension

palp

palpation

PMH

past medical history

pt.

patient

pr

per rectum

POV

persons own vehicle (e.g. patient will go via POV)

P.E.

physical exam or Pulmonary Embolus (depends on context)

post-op

post-operative

lb

pound

psi

pounds per square inch

Rx

prescription

PTA

prior to arrival

PMD

private medical doctor

P

pulse

PEA

pulseless electrical activity

PERL (PEARL)

pupils equal and reactive to light

qt.

quart

ROM

range of motion

RF

refused treatment

resp

respirations

RR

respiratory rate

Rt

right

o.d.

right eye

RLL

right lower lobe

RLQ

right lower quadrant

RML

right middle lobe

RUL

right upper lobe

RUQ

right upper quadrant

R/O

rule out

SC

scene or subcutaneous

sec(s)

second (s)

SOB

shortness of breath

S/Sx

signs and symptoms

S.O.

standing orders

sq

subcutaneous (beneath the layers of the skin)

sl

sublingual (under the tongue)

Tbsp

tablespoon

tsp

teaspoon

Temp

temperature

tid

three times a day

TKO

to keep open (e.g. run the IV at TKO rate which is usually about 20-30 gtts/min with a minidrip IV tubing that delivers 60 gtts/cc)

t-port

transport

Tx

treatment

b.i.d.

twice a day

u

unit

v.s.

vital signs

Vol.

volume

H2O

water

w/s

watt-second (energy level set for defibrillating the heart in hopes of getting the normal pacemaker of the heart to regain control)

wt.

weight

WBC

white blood count

¯c

with

WNL

within normal limits

¯s

without

yr.

year

y.o.

year old