Essential Acronyms - Medicine & Special Population

Vocabulary flashcards covering common patient assessment acronyms in medical settings.

OPQRST

Onset, Provocation, Quality, Radiation, Severity, Time; used for assessing pain, especially chest pain.

SAMPLE

Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past history, Last oral intake, Events leading; acronym for gathering a patient's medical history.

AVPU

Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive; scale for assessing a patient's level of consciousness.

A&O x4

Alert and Oriented to person, place, time, and event.

PEARL / PERRLA

Pupils Equal And Reactive to Light / Pupils Equal, Round, Reactive to Light and Accommodation; used in neurological checks and head injury assessments.

OPQRST

Onset, Provocation, Quality, Radiation, Severity, Time; used for assessing pain, especially chest pain.

SAMPLE

Signs/Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past history, Last oral intake, Events leading; acronym for gathering a patient's medical history.

AVPU

Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive; scale for assessing a patient's level of consciousness.

A&O x4

Alert and Oriented to person, place, time, and event.

PEARL / PERRLA

Pupils Equal And Reactive to Light / Pupils Equal, Round, Reactive to Light and Accommodation; used in neurological checks and head injury assessments.