The universal acronym most commonly recognized for emergency situations is SOS , which is often interpreted as "Save Our Souls" or "Save Our Ship." It originated from maritime radio regulations in 1905 and has since become a global distress signal used to indicate a crisis or urgent need for help

. Another term used in emergency contexts is "Mayday," which is a spoken distress call rather than an acronym, but also widely recognized internationally. In specific settings like hospitals or emergency management, various acronyms and color-coded codes exist to communicate different types of emergencies quickly, but SOS remains the universal and most broadly recognized emergency acronym

. Therefore, SOS is the universal acronym for emergency situations.