Every PALS Acronym You Need To Know | EMedCert Blog

If you haven’t already memorized these, here’s a handy list of every PALS acronym and abbreviation you should keep readily available.

Let’s face it – asking you to memorize every single PALS acronym out there is barely within the realm of possibility. At the very least, it’s impractical. Sure, you know most of them like the back of your hand by now, after years of studying and experience.

But what about those you don’t come across on a frequent basis? Are they any less important than those that are now second nature to you? Of course not, but it’s only natural for you to forget a few of them over time.

That’s why having a list like the one below accessible at all times can be a lifesaver – literally. There is very little wiggle room in life-threatening situations. If you don’t know something, you need to find out fast.

On a less drastic note, it can also be a tremendous time-saver when it comes to taking your PALS Certification or PALS Recertification exam. Having a tool like this by your side will allow you to be much more efficient in your studying and test-taking efforts.

Truth be told, there’s really no reason to not keep this list readily available. Strive to memorize them; be prepared in case you don’t.

Here is a list of every PALS acronym or abbreviation you need to know:

ABCD | Airway, breathing, circulation, differential diagnosis

ABCDE | Airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure

ACLS | Advanced Cardiac Life Support

AED | Automated external defibrillator

AHA | American Heart Association

ALS | Advanced life support

AV | Atrioventricular

AVPU | Alert, verbal, pain, unresponsive

BLS | Basic Life Support

BP | Blood pressure

BPM | Beats per minute

CAB | Circulation, airway, breathing

CHF | Congestive heart failure

CPR | Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

CT | Computed tomography

ECG | Electrocardiogram

ECPR | Extracorporeal CPR

ED | Emergency Department

EMS | Emergency medical services

EMT | Emergency medical technician

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ET | Endotracheal

FDA | Food and Drug Administration

GCS | Glasgow Coma Scale

GI | Gastrointestinal

ICU | Intensive care unit

IHCA | In-hospital cardiac arrest

IN | Intranasal

IM | Intramuscular

IO | Intraosseous

IV | Intravenous

LMA | Laryngeal Mask Airway

LV | Left ventricle

mA | Millaperes

MAP | Mean arterial pressure

MI | myocardial infarction

NIH | National Institutes of Health

NPA | Nasopharyngeal airway

OHCA | Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

OPA | Oropharyngeal airway

PAD | Public Access Defibrillation

PALS | Pediatric Advanced Life Support

PE | Pulmonary embolism

PEA | Pulseless electrical activity

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PETCO2 | Partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide

PSVT | Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia

PVCs | Premature ventricular contractions

pVT | Pulseless ventricular tachycardia

ROSC | Return of spontaneous circulation

RRT | Rapid response team

RV | Right ventricle

SBP | Systolic blood pressure

SPAM | Signs/symptoms, past medical history, allergies, medications

SVT | Supraventricular tachycardia

TCP | transcutaneous pacing

TTM | targeted temperature management

VF / V-Fib | Ventricular fibrillation

VT | Ventricular tachycardia

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