Abbreviations
|
Meaning
|
aa
|
Of each, equal parts
|
ABR
|
Absolute bed rest
|
Abd.
|
Abdomen
|
ac
|
Before meals
|
AD
|
Admitting diagnosis
|
A&D
|
Admission and discharge
|
Ad lib
|
As desired, if the patient so desired
|
ADL
|
Activities of daily living
|
Adm.
|
Admission
|
Ad. Spec.
|
Admission urine specimen
|
A.M. or a.m., AM or am
|
Morning
|
amb
|
Ambulation, walking, ambulatory,
|
|
able to walk
|
amt.
|
Amount
|
AP or A.P.
|
Appendectomy
|
aqua
|
Water or H2O
|
@
|
At
|
Approx.
|
Approximately
|
B&B or b&b
|
Bowel and bladder training
|
bid or B.I.D. or b.i.d.
|
Twice a day
|
b.m. or B.M.
|
Bowel movement, feces
|
B.P. or BP
|
Blood pressure
|
BR or br or B.R. or b.r.
|
Bedrest
|
BRP or B.R.P. or brp
|
Bathroom priviledges
|
BSC or bsc
|
Bedside commode
|
°C
|
Celsius degree (or centigrade)
|
?
|
With
|
Ca
|
Cancer
|
Cath.
|
Catheter
|
CBC or C.B.C.
|
Complete blood count
|
cc or c.c
|
Cubic centimeter
|
CCU or C.C.U
|
Cardiac care unit/ coronary care unit
|
CBR or C.B.R. or cbr
|
Complete bed rest
|
C/O or c/o
|
Complaint of
|
CO2
|
Carbon dioxide
|
CS or C.S. or c.s
|
Central supply
|
CSD or csd or C.S.D
|
Central service department
|
CSR or csr and C.S.R
|
Central supply room
|
CVA or C.V.A
|
Cerebrovascular accident or stroke
|
CPR or C.P.R
|
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
|
dc or d/c
|
Discontinue
|
del. M. Or d.r., or DR
|
Delivery room
|
Disch or dish or D/C
|
Discharge
|
D. % C. or D&C
|
Dilatation and curettage
|
drsg.
|
Dressing
|
DOA or D.O.A
|
Dead on arrival
|
Dr. or Dr
|
Doctor
|
DX
|
Diagnosis
|
ECG or EKG
|
Electrocardiogram
|
ED or E.D.
|
Emergency department
|
EEG or E.E.G.
|
Electroencephalogram
|
EENT or E.E.N.T.
|
Eye, ears, nose and throat
|
E. or E
|
Enema
|
ER or E.R.
|
Emergency room
|
°F
|
Fahrenheit degree
|
F. or Fe. or F or Fe
|
Female
|
FBS or F.B.S
|
Fasting blood sugar
|
FF or F.F.
|
Forced feeding or forced fluids
|
ft
|
Foot
|
Fx
|
Fracture
|
Fx urine
|
Fractional urine
|
gal
|
Gallon
|
GI or G.I.
|
Gastrointestinal
|
gt
|
One drop
|
gtt
|
Two or more drops
|
Gtt or G.T.T.
|
Glucose tolerance test
|
GU or G.U
|
Genitourinary
|
Gyn. or G.Y.N.
|
Gynecology
|
H2O
|
Water or aqua
|
HOB
|
Head of bed
|
hr
|
Hour
|
HS or hs
|
Bedtime or hour of sleep
|
ht
|
Height
|
hyper
|
Above or high
|
hypo
|
Below or low
|
H.W.B. or hwb or HWB
|
Hot water bottle
|
ICU or I.C.U.
|
Intensive care unit
|
I&O or I.&O.
|
Intake and output
|
Irr
|
Irregular
|
Isol. Or isol
|
Isolation
|
IV or I.V.
|
Intravenous
|
L
|
Liter
|
Lab. or lab
|
Laboratory
|
lb
|
Pound
|
LVN or L.V.N
|
Licensed vocational nurse
|
M
|
Male
|
Mat
|
Maternity
|
MD or M.D.
|
Medical doctor
|
Meas
|
Measure
|
mec
|
Meconium
|
med
|
Medicine
|
min
|
Minute
|
ml
|
Milliliter
|
Mn or mn or M/n
|
Midnight
|
N.A. or N/A
|
Nursing aide or nursing assistant
|
n/g tube or ng. tube or N.G.T.
|
Nasogastric tube
|
noct
|
At night
|
NP
|
Neuropsychiatric or nursing procedure
|
NPO or N.P.O
|
Nothing by mouth
|
nsy
|
Nursery
|
O2
|
Oxygen
|
OB or O.B.
|
Obstetrics
|
Obt or obt.
|
Obtained
|
OJ or O.J.
|
Orange juice
|
Orb.
|
Orderly
|
OOB or O.O.B.
|
Out of bed
|
OPD or O.P.D.
|
Outpatient department
|
OR or O.R.
|
Operating room
|
Ortho
|
Orthopedics
|
OT or O.T
|
Occupational therapy or oral temperature
|
oz.
|
Ounce
|
PAR or P.A.R.
|
Postanesthesia room
|
Pc
|
After meals
|
Ped or Peds
|
Pediatrics
|
Per
|
by, through
|
p.m. or P.M., pm or PM
|
Afternoon
|
PMC or P.M.C
|
Postmortem care
|
PN or P.N.
|
Pneumonia
|
po
|
By mouth
|
post or p
|
after
|
postop or post op
|
Postoperative
|
post op spec
|
After surgery urine specimen
|
PP
|
Postpartum (after delivery)
|
PPBS
|
Postprandial blood sugar
|
pre
|
Before
|
prn or p.r.n.
|
Whenever necessary, when required
|
preop or pre op
|
Before surgery
|
pre op spec
|
Urine specimen before surgery
|
prep
|
Prepare the patient for surgery by shaving the skin.
|
Pt or pt
|
Patient; pint
|
PT or P.T.
|
Physical therapy
|
q
|
Every
|
qd
|
Every day
|
qh
|
Every hour
|
q2h
|
Every 2 hours
|
q3h
|
Every 3 hours
|
q4h
|
Every 4 hours
|
QHS or qhs
|
Every night at bed time/ hour of sleep
|
qid or Q.I.D.
|
Four times a day
|
qam or q am or q.a.m.
|
Every morning
|
qod or Q.O.D
|
Every other day
|
qs
|
Quantity sufficient, as much as required
|
qt
|
quart
|
r or R
|
rectal or Rectal
|
Rm or rm
|
Room
|
RN or R.N.
|
Registered nurse
|
Rom or R.O.M.
|
Range of motion
|
RR or R Rm.
|
Recovery room
|
Rx
|
Prescription or treatment ordered by a physician
|
s or ?
|
Without
|
S&A
|
Sugar and acetone
|
S&A test or S.& A. test
|
Sugar and acetone test
|
S&K or S.& K. test
|
Sugar and ketone test
|
SOB
|
Shortness of breath
|
sos
|
Whenever emergency arises; only if necessary
|
SPD
|
Special purchasing department
|
Spec or spec.
|
Specimen
|
ss or ??
|
One-half
|
SSE or S.S.E.
|
Soapsuds enema
|
Stat
|
At once, immediately
|
STD
|
Sexually transmitted disease
|
Surg
|
Surgery
|
tid or T.I.D.
|
Three times a day
|
TLC or tlc
|
Tender loving care
|
TPR
|
Temperature, pulse, respiration
|
TWE
|
Tap water enema
|
U/a or U/A or u/a
|
Urinalysis
|
Ung.
|
Ointment, unguentine
|
VDRL
|
Test for syphilis
|
V.S or VS
|
Vital signs
|
WBC or W.B.C.
|
White blood count
|
w/c
|
Wheel chair
|
wc or W.C.
|
Ward clerk
|
wt
|
Weight
|