Documentation Symbol Help - noobie

[uglyEMT]

Personally, in my opinion, all documentation should be written in plain English. This means no abbreviations, acronyms, 10-codes, etc etc...

I agree!! +1

I am the same way all my documents are in plain english. I do like using certain accronyms or abbreviations only when communicating to the ED with a patient beside me. I dont want to tell the ED I am inbound with a emotionally disturbed person while that person can hear me and might react to it. Tell the ED I am inbound with a XXyear old M/F EDP ect sounds alot better than XXyear old M/F being emotionally disturbed. Thats all.

10 codes are going the way of the dodo and slowly we will see plain english in radio coms. My service area is mixed. Some say what they say others sound like an algebra problem.

My favorite over the radio is unit XX can you 10-21 for a 62 during 7 (can you give me a call for a report during your break) LOL

[Kiwiology]

Symbols, abbreviations and codes represent major clinical risk .... simply don't do it!

[Richard B the EMT]

Just remember the admonition of my old Instructor/Co-ordinator:

"When putting down Vital Signs on the call sheet, never use WNL, meaning 'Within Normal Limits', as the lawyers will say it meant "We Never Looked'"!

[FireMedic65]

I agree!! +1

I am the same way all my documents are in plain english. I do like using certain accronyms or abbreviations only when communicating to the ED with a patient beside me. I dont want to tell the ED I am inbound with a emotionally disturbed person while that person can hear me and might react to it. Tell the ED I am inbound with a XXyear old M/F EDP ect sounds alot better than XXyear old M/F being emotionally disturbed. Thats all.

10 codes are going the way of the dodo and slowly we will see plain english in radio coms. My service area is mixed. Some say what they say others sound like an algebra problem.

My favorite over the radio is unit XX can you 10-21 for a 62 during 7 (can you give me a call for a report during your break) LOL

Definitely! When I communicate with the ED over the radio.. I can whip out a report in a few seconds. "Inbound with xxETA, xxYr old patient complaining of bleh. bp catastrophic/ridiculous, pulse 200, skin soft, breasts firm, eyes pretty..." (Disclaimer.. I was JOKING on that report)

It is best to use acronyms when talking over the radio ONLY IF THE RECEIVING END KNOWS WHAT THEY MEAN AND YOU ARE ON THE SAME PAGE!!! because of anyone being able to listen in on the radio traffic. And again, you can't say you have a person coming in that is emotionally disturbed... because, we are not psychologists, we cannot make that assumption.