AMPLE history
Also written as: AMPLE — Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last meal, Events
Focused history-taking mnemonic covering Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last meal, and Events leading to injury.
Full Definition
AMPLE history is a systematic approach to gathering essential medical history during emergency surgical evaluation. The acronym stands for Allergies (drug and environmental), Medications (current prescriptions and recent use), Past medical history (relevant surgical and medical conditions), Last meal (timing for anesthesia considerations), and Events (mechanism and timeline of current injury or illness). This framework ensures rapid collection of critical information needed for safe emergency surgical care while avoiding lengthy history-taking that might delay necessary intervention.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalize when referring to the formal assessment tool.
In Context
- "The emergency physician obtained an AMPLE history before surgical consultation." — Emergency department documentation
- "AMPLE history revealed recent anticoagulant use affecting surgical timing." — Preoperative assessment note