CTAB
Medical abbreviation · Patient Assessment
| Stands for | Clear to auscultation bilaterally |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
CTAB stands for Clear to auscultation bilaterally, a patient assessment abbreviation.
Lung exam finding that normal breath sounds are heard throughout both lungs, without added sounds. It is one of the most common phrases in physical exam documentation.
Example: Resp: CTAB, no wheezes, rales or rhonchi; normal effort.
Usage notes
Copy-forward templates can carry CTAB into notes for patients with obvious crackles, a recognized documentation safety problem. Some clinicians write "CTA B/L". Diminished sounds at the bases, common after surgery, should be recorded rather than summarized as clear.
Related abbreviations
More patient assessment abbreviations
- CIWA-Ar – Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, revised
- CMS – Circulation, motion, sensation
- COWS – Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale
- CPOT – Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool
- CRT – Capillary refill time
- CTA – Clear to auscultation
- CVAT – Costovertebral angle tenderness
- EOMI – Extraocular movements intact
- FLACC – Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability
- GCS – Glasgow Coma Scale
- HC – Head circumference
- HEENT – Head, eyes, ears, nose, throat
See all 65 patient assessment abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.