Use of C/O in Documentation

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Psychiatric, MICA.

I am having a discussion with a co-worker about the use of c/o or "complains of" vs. "reports". The general idea is that the c/o phrase has negative connotations associated with the concept of complaining. She says there is an effort to move away from this phrase and abbreviation in the industry, but Google is failing me when I try to verify or refute this. Anyone have any leads?

Thanks!

D

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Specializes in Peds general and ICU/Comm. Disease RN.

I searched for this documentation issue and did not find anything supporting the idea of not charting "c/o". If you go to joint commission's website and then into the nursing section, you will find the most current "do not use" list for documentation. I think the most important thing to remember when charting "c/o" entries is to chart what you did or what was done to address the complaints.

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I use it all the time in my charting. I think it is how you use it not using it in general that is the issue. I will never chart 'pt c/o all day of a back pain' I will say 'c/o back pain while in bed, pt enc to be in chair, back rub given'.

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I am having a discussion with a co-worker about the use of c/o or "complains of" vs. "reports". The general idea is that the c/o phrase has negative connotations associated with the concept of complaining. She says there is an effort to move away from this phrase and abbreviation in the industry, but Google is failing me when I try to verify or refute this. Anyone have any leads?

As far as I know, what the patient presents with for treatment is still called the chief complaint, and "complains of" is still legitimate terminology.

If the customer service focus of healthcare intrudes into care delivery so much that at we are prohibited from saying that a patient is "complaining of" a sore throat or whatever out of fear of portraying him or her as a whingeing hypochondriac, then it will have gone much too far for me.

I'm surprised that "SOB" hasn't come under fire yet :p

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

Oh, please say it isn't so. "Complaining of" does not have a negative connotation when used in a medical context. I am so tired of people looking for things to be offended by. We were actually told in our computer training classes that we were not allowed to refer to our "Carts On Wheels" as "C.O.W.s" because the term might be offensive to obese patients. I kid you not. Where will it end?

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Specializes in CVICU, ER.

I use "C/O" and "reports" interchangeably. I don't think C/O makes the pt sound like a complainer. I'd go with what the facility policy is. If this is just coming from another nurse, then I'd blow it off. LOL at the COWS... Same thing at my facility. We have to call them WOW's now. That's just strange to me. Everything has to be politically correct.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i use c/o in my charting -if there were no complaints then the patient wouldn't have any reason to be there! :) On the other hand I also use no c/o to rule things out - no c/o nausea and so forth.

I say we take back our language and make this society a little more thick skinned. :twocents:

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.

SOB has come under fire. I was taught to use SOA....

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
SOB has come under fire. I was taught to use SOA....

Okay...I admit that I am an old nurse...what the heck is SOA? short on attitude? standing on air? sitting on a$$?

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

ok - SOB -shortness of breath

but SOA - shortness of ?? airway? air? arrogance (i wish!!)

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I'm surprised that "SOB" hasn't come under fire yet :p

It has. In nursing school we were taught to use "WOB" instead. WOB = work of breathing. Of course we all reverted back to using SOB.

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Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

My opinion is that to use just "c/o" in a sentence alone is unclear and silly(sorry). For example, and I have seen this multiple times: "Pt had no c/o." ARGHH C/O of WHAT?????? I don't mind nearly as much to see: "Resident had no C/o heachache or dizziness this shift." I generally use."Resident denies dizziness this shift." As an MDS Coordinator, no c/o doesn't give me ANY information whatsoever.

SOB is sometimes, in my experience, replaced with Short of air.;)

mds1

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