1. Special Senses: The Eye and The Ear Abbreviations

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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 theEustachian tube Commonly called an Earache

7. EM Stands for emmetropia Normal condition of vision

8. XT Stands for Extropia Outward turning of the eye Commonly called wall-eyed An example of muscle weakness fo the eye (strabismus)

9. 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)

10. EOM Stands for extraocular movement Means eye movement

11. VA Stands for Visual Activity Means the eyes can actively see

12. References Medical Terminology: A Living Language http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_conduction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otitis_media