What’s The Abbreviation?

Pressure Equalizing Tube

• Abbreviation: PE Tube• Definition: A small tube

that is surgically placed in a child’s eardrum to assist in drainage of trapped fluid and to equalize pressure between the middle ear cavity and the atmosphere.

Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat

• Abbreviation: EENT• Definition: Referring to the eye, ear, nose, and

throat. Usually suggests a medical specialty or field, also commonly associated with ENT, or ear, nose, and throat.

Bone Conduction

• Abbreviation: BC• Definition: The conduction of sound through

to the inner ear through the bones of the skull.

• This is the reason our own voices sound different on a recording. It is used in new technology like “Google Glass”

Both Ears

• Abbreviation: AU• Derivation: Comes from Auris Utraque which

is Latin for each ear or both ears.• Used in descriptions such as for medications

or for medical charts.

Otitis Media

• Abbreviation: OM• Exact meaning is “inflammation of the middle

ear” but refers to an infection of the middle ear.

Emmetropia

• Abbreviation: EM• Definition: The state at which the eye is both relaxed

and in focus on an object more than 6 meters away.• Eyes that cannot focus on such an object need

corrective lenses or surgery.

Exotropia

• Abbreviation: XT• Definition: An outward turning of the

eyes. • Can occur in babies by weeks 4-6,

but is usually resolved by week 8. • More permanent exotropia often

develops at 1-4 years old.• Symptoms include: decreased vision,

depth perception, outward deviation of eyes, and sensitivity to light

Left Eye

• Abbreviation: OS• Derivation: Exact meaning is oculus sinister.• Right eye, abbreviation OD, comes from

oculus dexter• Both eyes, abbrevation OU, comes from

oculus uterque.

Extraocular Movement

• Abbreviation: EOM• Exact meaning is “eye movements” and refers

to the movements of the eyes in all directions and the eyelids.

• The eye is controlled by six muscles. Four control basic movements: up, down, left, and right. The other two control movement to oppose head motion.

Visual Acuity

• Abbreviation: VA• Definition: The clarity or sharpness of vision• Visual Acuity is expressed as a fraction.– Normal VA is 20/20. – In an example of 20/40 The top number is the

distance from a particular object, 20 feet. The bottom number is what a person can see from 20 feet away, that person with normal VA can see from 40 feet away.