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2.9.6 Formatted text

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.

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