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You need to getcha a copy of the AAMT BOS

Posted By: tnmt on 2008-01-10
In Reply to:

Subject: You need to getcha a copy of the AAMT BOS

I know a lot of folks diss it but it's helpful in settling these kinds of nagging questions that one gets (I don't know about you, but I start overthinking at about my 6th hour in....)

Anyway, here goes:

1. See the Joint Commission list of dangerous abbreviatinos here: http://www.jointcommission.org/PatientSafety/DoNotUseList

I didn't realize cc was on there as a "don't do" until I got one when I changed jobs!

And no apostrophe with capped abbreviations, so it's WBCs.


2. q.p.m., I believe.

4. not capped.


5. no hyphen for "non" and other common prefixes. Use good current dictionary as a guide.


6. No comma



7. no colon in military time


8. Unless facility prefers otherwise, lowercase generic and cap brand. No shortcuts, I'm afraid, other than perhaps a good spellchecker or expander.

Hope that helps. Like I said, an AAMT Book of Style is helpful in these kinds of things, though obviously facility preferences take precedence.


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    Lowercase common nouns designating department names; reserve capitals for proper nouns or adjectives, in addresses, or when part of a federal government agency name.


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    He works for the State Department in Washington, DC.
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    However, capitalize a department name that is referred to as an entity.


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    divisions
    Lowercase common nouns naming institutional divisions.


    the administrative division of Memorial Hospital


    internal units
    Lowercase common names for internal units of an organization.


    The patient's medication was changed because apparently the pharmacy can no longer obtain paregoric.


    Exception: Capitalization may be used for such internal units in the entity's references to itself in its own formal and/or legal documents.


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    Capitalize internal elements when their names are not generic terms.


    Dr. Smith's Limb Deficiency Clinic


    Copyright (c) 2002 American Association for Medical Transcription


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    Subject: copy notation

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    Subject: maybe this - copy and paste

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    Subject: shiela - it did not copy/paste right sm

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    Subject: Copy and paste link

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    Subject: If you copy and paste this link, you can see that it

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    Subject: link didn't post - here's a copy of what I found...

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    Subject: may I just add something about AAMT...sm

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    Subject: According to AAMT and ..

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    Subject: And where did the AAMT

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    AAMT
    Subject: AAMT

    In my most humble opinion, I would think the AAMT BOS rules are set by AAMT, as Joint Commision accredits hospitals.  Some of the style guides that my account uses are actually requirements by Joint Commission, but not those specifically required by the BOS.  Anyone else have an opinion? 
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    Subject: AAMT BOS


    "I wrote him a prescription for 38 Tylox."  Am I supposed to type #38 or not?


     


    Per AAMT
    Subject: Per AAMT

    Abbreviate units of measure, even if dictated in full, if they are accompanied by a numeral.

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    # according to AAMT
    Subject: # according to AAMT

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    AAMT BOS
    Subject: AAMT BOS

    Use only with numerals. Use a lowercase x in expressions of area and volume, as a multiplication symbol, and when it takes the place of the word times.

    A capital X is generally used to express magnification.

    X30 magnification


    x meaning by (dimensions)
    Use a lowercase x to express by in dimensions.

    Space before and after the x.

    13 x 2 cm

    x meaning for
    When the word "times" is dictated and can be translated as for, it should be transcribed as for rather than using times or x.

    D: The patient was given antibiotics to take times 2 weeks.
    T: The patient was given antibiotics to take for 2 weeks.

    x meaning times
    When the word "times" is dictated and means the number of times a thing was done, the letter x can be used.

    To keep this expression together and easily read as a unit, do not place a space after the x.

    D: Blood cultures were negative times 3.
    T: Blood cultures were negative x3.

    Use the symbol x meaning times only when the x precedes a numeral.

    D: Demerol was administered 3 times.
    T: Demerol was administered 3 times. not ...3x.
    Yes, BOS is from AAMT, but
    Subject: Yes, BOS is from AAMT, but

    what they base their decisions on I'll never know.

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    it is CT per AAMT
    Subject: it is CT per AAMT

    x
    AAMT BOS
    Subject: AAMT BOS

    affect, effect

    These terms often sound alike when dictated, but their usage and meanings are not interchangeable. Affect is usually a verb, and effect is usually a noun. In medicine either of these terms may be a verb or noun, with a multitude of meanings, and their differences in usage and meaning should be learned.

    affect
    As a verb, affect (pronounced af-féct) means to influence or change.

    She suffers from a neuropathy affecting her upper extremities.
    The warm encouragement of the patient's wife positively affected his outcome.

    As a noun, affect (pronounced áf-fect) means an expressed or observed emotion or feeling.

    The patient displayed a flat affect.
    Her affect did not change throughout the course of the interview.

    effect
    As a verb, effect means to bring about or cause to happen.

    We plan to effect a decrease in the size of the tumor using adjunctive therapy.
    The medication effected relief.

    As a noun, effect means result.

    The effect of the treatment was pronounced.
    A mass effect was seen on x-ray.

    Copyright (c) 2002 American Association for Medical
    Transcription

    It is confusing! I have been doing this for years and still have to stop and think at times. Good luck to you! You are getting into a great field of work! Hope you can get with a good company!
    x3 per AAMT
    Subject: x3 per AAMT


    According to AAMT BOS use
    Subject: According to AAMT BOS use

    arabic numerals (not roman numerals) in this case.


    See AAMT-BOS (sm)
    Subject: See AAMT-BOS (sm)

    Gleason tumor grade
    Also known as Gleason score. The system scores or grades the prognosis for adenocarcinoma of the prostate, with a scale of 1 through 5 for each dominant and secondary pattern; these are then totaled for the score. The higher the score, the poorer the prognosis.

    Lowercase grade or score, and use arabic numerals.

    Diagnosis: Adenocarcinoma of prostate, Gleason score 8.
    Gleason score 3 + 2 = 5.
    Gleason 3 + 3 with a total score of 6.
    without the S per AAMT-BOS (sm)
    Subject: without the S per AAMT-BOS (sm)

    eponyms
    Names of entities—e.g., diseases, anatomic structures, operations, or tests— derived from the names of persons or places.

    Homans sign
    Lyme disease
    Down syndrome


    capitalization
    Capitalize eponyms but not the common nouns, adjectives, and prefixes that accompany them.

    Do not capitalize words derived from eponyms.

    ligament of Treitz
    red Robinson catheter
    non-Hodgkin lymphoma
    Parkinson disease but parkinsonism
    Cushing syndrome but cushingoid

    plurals
    Do not use an apostrophe in the plural forms of eponyms.

    Babinskis were negative.

    possessive form
    AAMT first advocated dropping the possessive form of eponyms in 1990. We adopted this standard because it promotes consistency and clarity. More recently, The AMA Manual of Style (1998), Stedman's Medical Dictionary (2000), and Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary (2000), have acknowledged the trend away from the possessive form.

    It is important to note, however, that use of the possessive form remains an acceptable alternative if dictated and/or if indicated as the preference by employer or client.

    Apgar score
    Babinski sign
    Down syndrome
    Gram stain
    Hodgkin lymphoma

    In awkward constructions, such as when the noun following the eponym is omitted, the possessive form becomes preferred.

    The patient's husband suffers from Alzheimer's.
    AAMT says...
    Subject: AAMT says...

    AAMT under cancer classifications has it as grade 1.
    AAMT says...
    Subject: AAMT says...

    AAMT under obstetrics has it as gravida 1 or G1
    62 mL - according to AAMT - nm
    Subject: 62 mL - according to AAMT - nm


    From AAMT
    Subject: From AAMT

    fractions
    Spell out or use numerals for common fractions. Use the dictation style as a guide.


    An hour and a half before presentation, the patient slipped and fell.
    or Approximately 1-1/2 hours before presentation... (if dictated "one and a half hours" or "one and one-half hours")
    The glass was two-thirds full. or The glass was 2/3 full.
    7/8-inch wound
    a half-inch incision or a 1/2-inch incision (since it was dictated precisely)
    about a half inch below the sternal notch (the word about makes this an imprecise measurement)
    He smokes a pack and a half of cigarettes per day.
    or He smokes 11/2 packs of cigarettes per day.
    or He smokes 1-1/2 packs of cigarettes per day.


    Copyright (c) 2002 American Association for Medical Transcription


    Per my AAMT BOS, gm is acceptable, sm
    Subject: Per my AAMT BOS, gm is acceptable, sm

    but g is the referred method (no period), which is the way I type it, i.e. Valtrex 1 g

    Of course, my BOS is not the newest version, so things could have changed.
    FYI-AAMT BOS, edition 2
    Subject: FYI-AAMT BOS, edition 2

    Just thought I would pass on some information recently sent to me.


    AAMT BOS  (Book of Style), 2nd edition


    periods
    Do not use periods within or at the end of most abbreviations, including acronyms, abbreviated units of measure, and brief forms. Use a period at the end of abbreviated English units of measure if they may be misread without the period. Better still, write out most English units of measure, thereby avoiding this use of a period at the end of an abbreviation.


    wbc
    WBC
    mg
    exam
    prep
    inch preferred to in. (Do not use in meaning inch without a period.)


    However, use periods in lowercase drug-related abbreviations.
    b.i.d.
    q.4 h. = note it is "q.4" and then a space before the "h."
    p.o.
    p.r.n.


    If a sentence terminates with an abbreviation that requires a period, do not add another period.
    He takes Valium 5 mg q.a.m.
    not He takes Valium 5 mg q.a.m..


    plurals
    Use a lowercase s without an apostrophe to form the plural of capitalized abbreviations, acronyms, and brief forms.
    EEGs
    PVCs
    CABGs
    exams


    Use 's to form the plural of lowercase abbreviations.
    rbc's
    Use 's to form the plural of single-letter abbreviations.
    X's


    Hyphens and adjectives


    15-year-old boy
    The patient is a 33-year-old.
    2-year 5-month-old child (note no comma in this)
    5-1/2-year-old girl
    1-month course
    .38-caliber pistol - note no leading zero here - see below
    two-thirds full
    one-half normal saline
    half-normal saline
    She was panic-stricken
    20-pack-year history
    self-medicated
    shell-like
     
    For quantities less than 1, place a zero before the decimal point, except when the number could never equal 1 (e.g., in bullet calibers and in certain statistical expressions such as correlation coefficients and statistical probability).
    0.75 mg
    .22-caliber rifle


     


    the new AAMT BOS says about numbers....sm
    Subject: the new AAMT BOS says about numbers....sm

    that you should use 4-5 and not spell out four to five.....all numbers now, even 1 through 9, should be numerals and not spelling out four, five, etc. 
    quote from AAMT BOS
    Subject: quote from AAMT BOS

    eponyms
    A name of a drug, disease, anatomic structure, operations, etc., derived from the name of the person or place. Do not use the possessive form.

    Homans sign
    Lyme disease
    Parkinson disease
    Cushing syndrome
    ligament of Treitz


    I went to an AAMT convention once and
    Subject: I went to an AAMT convention once and

    Someone asked her about that word, and she said never type pussy, type pus-filled or pus-like.  That is what I have done ever since and never got dinged on QA for it.
    As per AAMT book 2, is it x2 or x 2? TIA nm
    Subject: As per AAMT book 2, is it x2 or x 2? TIA nm

    x
    AAMT Style
    Subject: AAMT Style

    Anyone have any good web links to sum up AAMT BOS Second Edition - Don't have book yet...Thanks


    Probably AAMT's benefit.
    Subject: Probably AAMT's benefit.

    I have been an MT for over 25 years and this is crazy stuff. I just do what the clients/hospitals prefer. Too many AAMT guidelines and I feel some are just totally ridiculous.