Phil Traini Chapter 13J presentation

1. Chapter 13J -
Abbreviations
Phil Traini
April 9th, 2014
Medical Terminology

2. Abbreviations
• Are commonly used in the medical field to save time.
• Many types of medical facilities have lists of approved
abbreviations in order to keep all staff on the same page in
regards to abbreviations.
• Sometimes one abbreviation can have more than one
meaning, so it is very important to make sure of your medical
facilities list of approved abbreviations.
• The following slides are answers to posted abbreviations and
a brief description of what the abbreviation pertains to.

3. PE tube
• Pressure equalizing tube
• Tiny cylinders made of plastic or
metal surgically inserted into the
eardrum.
• It is provided to allow ventilation to
the middle ear stopping the
buildup of accumulation of fluids
in the eardrum.
• This is commonly given to
children who suffer from chronic
ear infections.

4. EENT
• Eyes, ears, nose, throat
• This one is pretty self explanatory but can definitely
save time with abbreviation.
• This could definitely come in handy when making an
assessment of a patient when time is of the essence.
• Checking of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat is common
during trauma assessments and even in regular
checkups, so I would assume that this is an
abbreviation that is used very often.

5. BC
• Bone conduction
• This refers to the conduction of sound to the
inner ear from the bones of the skull.
• Some devices amplify bone conduction to
help those with hearing impairments
• Bone conduction is also why sometimes our
own voice sounds different to ourselves then
others, because we have the resonance of
bone conduction altering our perceptions of
our voice.
• Bone conduction implants sometimes also
used in cochlear implants are used for the
hearing impaired (diagram to the right)
• Cochlear implants are extremely
controversial in the deaf community.

6. AU
• Both ears
• Just another abbreviation for quick assessment
• Be it a trauma assessment
• A regular checkup
• Or other medical record
• An example could be a presence of CSF (cerebrospinal
fluid) discharge from AU (both ears)

7. OM
• Otitis Media
• It is the inflammation of the inner ear.
• This is typically caused by an infection of bacteria or viruses.
• Generally occurs in children, and one of the treatments can be the use of PE
tubes.
• Other treatments can include the use of ear drops to relieve the pain and the
use of antibiotics to destroy the bacteria causing the infection.

8. EM
• Emmetropia
• This term basically refers to
perfect vision.
• Technically it is the state in which
the eye is completely relaxed
and has a general focal point of 6
meters or 20 feet.
• When in this state with perfect
vision no accommodation of the
lens is needed.

9. XT
• Exotropia
• This is a state in which the eyes deviate
outward as opposed to their normal inward
direction.
• This can have a negative impact on the
eyes ability to discern the depth of objects.
• Sometimes exotropia is a temporary
condition but other times it is permanent.
• Depending on the severity of the exotropia
sometime visual exercises can mediate the
problem, but for the more severe cases
sometimes surgery is the only option.

10. OS
• Left Eye
• This is another straight forward abbreviation.
• The abbreviation makes it much easier when
writing out a report or making quick notes on a
medical exam.
• OS is actually derived from the word “Oculus
Sinister” which is another term for the left eye

11. EOM
• Extra-ocular movement
• Extra-ocular movement is often
utilized during an eye exam or
during an assessment.
• The test consists of having the
patient look in all directions
without moving their head.
• This tests for dysfunctions in the
muscles of the eye and also any
issues of the cranial nerves
mainly the ocular, trochlear, and
abducens.

12. VA
• Visual Acuity
• This is another test of the eye
that judges the eyes ability to
see objects near and far.
• One of the more well known
tests. Utilizes
letters, shapes, and symbols
for the test.
• Is often given typically with an
eye exam to determine if the
patient is in need of any
corrective lenses.

13. References
• Fremgen, Bonnie F., and Suzanne S. Frucht. Medical
Terminology: A Living Language. Boston: Pearson, 2013.
Print.
• Extra-ocular movements (www.neuroexam.com)
• Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.org)
• Medscape (www.medscape.com)
• Webmd (www.webmd.com)