noun
General Slang
ETOH
· noun · EMS / ER / medical
Chart shorthand for a drunk patient.
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Definitions
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Chemistry abbreviation for ethanol (ethyl alcohol, EtOH) that crews and ER staff use as polite chart code for 'this patient is hammered'. Shows up in run sheets as '+ETOH', 'ETOH on board', or 'smells of ETOH' — same information as 'drunk', sterilised for the legal record. Pronounced 'ee-toe' or spelled out.
“Pt found supine on pavement, GCS 13, strong ETOH on breath, no obvious trauma.”
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ETOH In A Sentence
Pt found supine on pavement, GCS 13, strong ETOH on breath, no obvious trauma.
Origin & Usage
Standard chemistry notation (Et = ethyl, OH = hydroxyl) borrowed by medical charting for diplomatic shorthand.
People Also Ask
Why not just write 'drunk'?
Charts are legal documents. 'ETOH on breath' is an observation; 'drunk' is a diagnosis you can't make without a blood level.
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