SPECIAL SENSES: THE EYE AND THE EAR

Abbreviations

PE Tube

Stands for Pressure Tube Equalizing

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

EENT

Stands of eyes, ears, nose, and throat Can be used to describe a physician

BC

Stands for bone conduction

The conduction of sound to the inner ear through the bones of the skull

Some hearing aids use bone conduction

AU

Stands for both ears Can be used in medical records in order

to describe both ears or a condition affecting both ears

Example: There is hearing loss in AU (both ears)

OM

Stands for otitis media

Means inflammation in middle ear or middle ear infection

occurs in the area between the end of the outer ear and the inner ear including the Eustachian tube

Commonly called an Earache

EM

Stands for emmetropia Normal condition of vision

XT

Stands for Extropia Outward turning of

the eye Commonly called

wall-eyed An example of

muscle weakness fo the eye (strabismus)

OS

Stands for Left Eye Can be used in medical records to

describe a condition or state Example: There is a cataract in the OS

(left eye)

EOM

Stands for extraocular movement Means eye movement

VA

Stands for Visual Activity Means the eyes can actively see

References

Medical Terminology: A Living Language http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Bone_conduction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otitis_media