Abbreviations are commonly used in the medical field to save time. Some abbreviations have approved standardized meanings, while others can have multiple meanings, so it is important to be familiar with a facility's approved list. This document defines common medical abbreviations such as PE tube (pressure equalizing tube inserted in eardrum), EENT (eyes, ears, nose, throat exam), BC (bone conduction of sound), AU (both ears), OM (otitis media or ear infection), EM (emmetropia or perfect vision), XT (exotropia or outward eye deviation), OS (left eye), EOM (extra-ocular movement eye exam), and VA (visual acuity exam). Knowing standardized medical abbrev

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)