A Medic's Tale, page 30
ALS: Advanced Life Support. A course that teaches doctors and nurses how to treat people with severe cardiac problems and cardiac arrest scenarios.
ATLS: Advanced Trauma Life Support. This is a course designed for doctors to learn the necessary skills to treat injured patients during the initial phases following major traumas.
BLS: Basic Life Support.
BM: A method of measuring blood sugar levels.
CT: Cat Scan used to look at injuries/lesions in the brain.
CP: Chest Pain.
CSW: Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
ECG: Electrocardiogram. A tracing of the heart to look for any abnormalities.
ED: Emergency Department.
EPLS: European Paediatric Life Support. A course for doctors and nurses teaching them signs and skills of looking after sick and traumatised children.
EWTD: European Working Time Directive.
GTN: Glyceryl tri-nitrite used to relieve pain of angina.
HART: Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust.
ITU: Intensive Therapy Unit or intensive Care.
IV: Intravenous line designed usually to provide fluid via a vein.
MI: Myocardial Infarct. Heart attack.
MSF: Multisource Feedback.
MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Specialised scanning system to look at the body tissues in detail.
NHSLA: National Health Service Litigation Service.
ODA: Operating Department Assistant.
PACS: Picture Archive and Communication System. Usually allows doctors and nurses to review X-rays and similar images.
PCI: Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.
PFI: Private Finance Initiative.
RMO: Resident Medical Officer.
SHO: Senior House Officer. One step up from your initial post as a junior houseman.
STEMI: ST elevation myocardial infarction. A form of heart attack.
SVT: Supraventricular ventricular tachycardia. An extremely fast heart rate.
Trops: Blood test to look for heart muscle damage.
UMTs: Units of Medical Time.
Thrombolysis: Drugs used to dissolve clots in heart attacks and certain strokes.
Acknowledgements
My heartfelt thanks to those of you who have encouraged me with this project. Particularly to Dorothy, who has been a rock with her unstinting care, support and love over many years, in spite of all the ups and downs we all encounter in our journey of life.
I would dedicate this to all the staff, and personnel who work (or is it travail) in and around the myriad world called the NHS. In this case, generally related to the hospital environment.
Paul Wilson, A Medic's Tale
