This is used to describe a patient’s level of consciousness. The letters stand for:

A-Alert OR Awake (these words do not mean the same thing, be sure you understand which one is meant when you hear that AVPU = A)

V- Responds to verbal stimuli

P- Responds to pressure on the space between thumb and first finger

U- Unresponsive to any stimuli.

You may see P as painful stimulus in the text; EMS is transitioning away from pain to pressure.