Common abbreviations in emergency medicine
| Common abbreviations in emergency medicine |
| ABC | Airway, Breathing, Circulation (basic life support) |
| ABG | arterial blood gases |
| ACS | acute coronary syndrome |
| ALS | advanced life support |
| ALT | alanine aminotransferase |
| AMS | acute mountain sickness |
| APLS | advanced paediatric life support |
| aPTT | activated partial thromboplastin time |
| ASA | American Society of Anesthesiologists |
| AST | aspartate aminotransferase |
| ATV | automatic transport ventilator |
| AV | atrioventricular |
| AVPU | Alert; responds to Voice commands; responds to Pain; Unresponsive (rating scale for conscious state) |
| BMV | bag-mask ventilation |
| BP | blood pressure |
| bpm | beats per minute |
| BURP | backward, upward and rightward pressure to the thyroid cartilage |
| BVM | bag-valve-mask (ventilation method) |
| CAT | computerised axial tomography |
| CK | creatine kinase |
| CNS | central nervous system |
| COPD | chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| CPAP | continuous positive airways pressure |
| CPR | cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
| CSF | cerebrospinal fluid |
| C-spine | cervical spine |
| CT | computerised tomography |
| CTG | cardiotocograph |
| CTPA | computerised tomographic pulmonary angiography |
| CVC | central venous catheter(s) |
| CXR | chest X-ray |
| EAC | exercise-associated collapse |
| ECG | electrocardiograph, (-y), (-ic) |
| ED | Emergency Department |
| EKC | epidemic keratoconjunctivitis |
| ENT | ear, nose and throat (otolaryngology) |
| ETT | endotracheal tube |
| EUC | electrolytes, urea and creatinine |
| FAST | focussed abdominal sonogram in trauma |
| FBC | full blood count |
| FBE | full blood examination |
| fFN | fetal fibronectin |
| FFP | fresh frozen plasma |
| GCA | giant cell arteritis |
| GCS | Glasgow Coma Scale |
| HACE | high altitude cerebral oedema |
| HAPE | high altitude pulmonary oedema |
| HDU | high dependency unit |
| ICU | intensive care unit |
| IgE | immunoglobulin E |
| INR | international normalised ratio |
| JVP | jugular venous pressure |
| LDH | lactic dehydrogenase |
| LFT | liver function test |
| LMA | laryngeal mask airway |
| LOC | loss of consciousness |
| MRI | magnetic resonance imaging |
| msec | millisecond(s) |
| NAC | N-acetylcysteine (acetylcysteine is the Australian approved name) |
| NMS | neuroleptic malignant syndrome |
| NS | normal saline |
| NSAIDs | nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents |
| NSTEACS | non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome |
| OP | organophosphorus (or organophosphate) |
| OTC | over-the-counter, non-prescription drug |
| PaO2 | partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood |
| pCO2 | partial pressure of carbon dioxide in blood |
| PIB | pressure immobilisation bandage |
| PT | prothrombin time |
| PUO | pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin |
| RBC | red blood cell |
| rFVIIa | recombinant activated factor VII |
| RR | respiratory rate |
| RSI | rapid sequence induction (and intubation) |
| SBP | systolic blood pressure |
| SI | International System of Units |
| SpO2 | peripheral oxygen saturation (oximetry) |
| SR | sinus rhythm |
| SSNRI | selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor |
| SSRI | selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor |
| STEMI | ST elevation myocardial infarction |
| SVDK | snake venom detection kit |
| TIA | transient ischaemic attack |
| TOE (TEE) | transoesophageal echocardiography |
| TVS | transvaginal ultrasound |
| US | ultrasound |
| UTI | urinary tract infection |
| Vd | volume of distribution |
| VDK | venom detection kit |
| VF | ventricular fibrillation |
| VICC | venom-induced consumption coagulopathy |
| V/Q scan | ventilation perfusion scan |
| VT | ventricular tachycardia |
| WBCT | whole blood clotting time |
| WBI | whole bowel irrigation |
Thanks for your visit..!