If the field is of the formatted text (FT) data type, formatting commands also may be surrounded by the escape character. Each command begins with the . (period) character. The following formatting commands are available:
.sp <number> |
End current output line and skip <number> vertical spaces. <number> is a positive integer or absent. If <number> is absent, skip one space. The horizontal character position remains unchanged. Note that for purposes of compatibility with previous versions of HL7, "^\.sp\" is equivalent to "\.br\." |
.br |
Begin new output line. Set the horizontal position to the current left margin and increment the vertical position by 1. |
.fi |
Begin word wrap or fill mode. This is the default state. It can be changed to a no-wrap mode using the .nf command. |
.nf |
Begin no-wrap mode. |
.in <number> |
Indent <number> of spaces, where <number> is a positive or negative integer. This command cannot appear after the first printable character of a line. |
.ti <number> |
Temporarily indent <number> of spaces where number is a positive or negative integer. This command cannot appear after the first printable character of a line. |
.sk < number> |
Skip <number> spaces to the right. |
.ce |
End current output line and center the next line. |
The component separator that marks each line defines the extent of the temporary indent command (.ti), and the beginning of each line in the no-wrap mode (.nf). Examples of formatting instructions that are NOT included in this data type include: width of display, position on page or screen, and type of output devices.
Figure 2-3 is an example of the FT data type from a radiology impression section of a radiology report:
Figure 2-3. Formatted text as transmitted
|\.in+4\\.ti-4\ 1. The cardio mediastinal silhouette is now within normal limits.^\.sp\\.ti-4\ 2. Lung fields show minimal ground glass appearance.^\.sp\\.ti-4\ 3. A loop of colon visible in the left upper quadrant is distinctly abnormal with the appearance of mucosal effacement suggesting colitis.\.in-4\| |
Figure 2-4 shows one way of presenting the data in Figure 2-3. The receiving system can create many other interpretations by varying the right margin.
Figure 2-4. Formatted text in one possible presentation
1. The cardio mediastinal silhouette is now within normal limits. 2. Lung fields show minimal ground glass appearance. 3. A loop of colon visible in the left upper quadrant is distinctly abnormal with the appearance of mucosal effacement suggesting colitis. |