UTA

Medical abbreviation · Patient Assessment

UTA stands for Unable to assess, a patient assessment abbreviation.

Flowsheet entry used when a nurse cannot complete part of an assessment, for example orientation in a sedated patient or pain score in a nonverbal patient. It shows the item was considered rather than skipped.

Example: Orientation UTA, patient intubated and sedated, RASS -4.

Usage notes

A reason should accompany UTA so the next shift knows whether to retry. When self-report is impossible, observational tools such as CPOT or PAINAD replace numeric pain scores. Also written "unable to assess" in full on some forms.

Related abbreviations

More patient assessment abbreviations

• AP – Apical pulse
• AVPU – Alert, voice, pain, unresponsive
• Ax – Axillary
• BLE – Bilateral lower extremities
• BMI – Body mass index
• BP – Blood pressure
• BPS – Behavioral Pain Scale
• BS – Bowel sounds
• BSA – Body surface area
• BUE – Bilateral upper extremities
• CAM-ICU – Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit
• CIWA-Ar – Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, revised

See all 65 patient assessment abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.