Use of C/O in Documentation

[darrell]

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

[pedsrnjc]

Personally, I've never heard of c/o being a problem, but I have a HUGE problem with nurses charting "patient had no c/o pain" this statement says to me "I didn't ask if she had pain and she didn't tell me." Pain should never be a don't ask/don't tell thing. Instead chart, "patient denies pain." Please don't leave 'em hurting.

[mappers]

SOA = Shortness of Air.

[pennyaline]

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

Oh. My. GOD!!!

Short of air? It's stupid. It's just too stupid. The patient isn't short of air, like a bicycle tire. The patient is short of BREATH, as in not breathing well, as in having poor O2/CO2 exchange, as in the mechanics of life are at risk! ARGH!! Why must we stoop to being inaccurate and imprecise and waffling and vague and STUPID to avoid offending a patient with legitimate medical terminology? WHY??

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

I have not heard of any issues using "c/o". I use c/o to report the patient's chief complaint, and "reports" to document any associated s/s or peripheral information.

[luvtranscendsall]

In my first semester of nursing school we were told in health assessment not to use complaining of because of the negative connotation that goes along with it. We actually got dinged on our paperwork because of it. I am in my last semester of a 2 year program, so although it has been acceptable in the past, I believe that there is a movement of getting away from using c/o.

[SaoirseRN]

I like to use "patient reports pain to left shoulder"

[klone, MSN, RN]

I know that all of our docs/residents (teaching hospital) use "endorses" rather than C/O. So that must be something they're teaching in med school now.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I know that all of our docs/residents (teaching hospital) use "endorses" rather than C/O. So that must be something they're teaching in med school now.

I agree that "patients reports ... " is probably a more neutral term than "complains of ..." But endorses? That's ... bizarre. Have not seen that used by any residents or med students in my hospital.

[leslie :-D]

personally, i believe poo-pooing the use of "complains" is totally ridiculous.

since when did that word become so offensive?

a complaint is a complaint is a complaint.

there is nothing wrong with complaining, esp in a hospital setting where one is not well in the first place.

leslie

[klone, MSN, RN]

I know, whenever I read their notes, it always seems weird to me. Like the patient is saying "Yay, nausea! Awesome!"

[Rjohn081]

c/o has many interpretations which is why its sometimes unclear. i hate short hand!! it can mean complained of, continues on, commenced on.. documentation has gone so downhill, sometimes nearly as illegible as doctors writing with all the short hand, and thats bad!

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Personally, I've never heard of c/o being a problem, but I have a HUGE problem with nurses charting "patient had no c/o pain" this statement says to me "I didn't ask if she had pain and she didn't tell me." Pain should never be a don't ask/don't tell thing. Instead chart, "patient denies pain." Please don't leave 'em hurting.

Totally agree with this why aren't schools teaching to never chart "no c/o pain", ever?

Chart "pt denies pain" or, if they're non verbal, "no signs/symptoms of pain".

Maybe they're too busy teaching that "c/o"or "SOB" might hurt the "customer's" feelings.