Republic of the Philippines

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY

(CvSU)
DON SEVERINO DELAS ALAS CAMPUS
Indang, Cavite

College of Nursing

NURS35 Foundations in Nursing (RLE)

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN DOCUMENTATION

Abbrev. Meaning Abb. Meaning
ā of each HL heparin lock
Abn abnormal HOB head of bed
a.c. Before meals hosp. hospital
AD Right ear hs hour of sleep;bed time
ADL Activities of Daily Living h; hr hour
Ad lib as desired H2O water
AKA Above-knee amputation H&P history and physical
A.M Before noon (morning) ht. height
AMA against medical advice Hx. history
amt. amount ICU Intensive Care Unit
AS Left ear I&D Incise and drain
ax axillary inc. incision
B; bil. bilateral I&O intake and output
bid twice a day IV intravenous
BP; B/P blood pressure IVF intravenous fluids
BR bed rest IVPB intravenous piggyback
BRP bathroom privileges KVO;TKO keep vein open; to keep open
bs; BS breath sounds L liter
c with L; lt. left
cath catheter or cathetherization lb; # pound
CBB complete bed-bath LLL left lower lobe
CBR complete bed rest LLE left lower extremities
CC chief complaint LLQ left lower quadrant
c/o complaints of LMP last menstrual period
DOA dead on arrival or date of admission LOC level of consciousness
DOB date of birth maew moves all extremities well
DTR deep tendon reflex MD medical doctor
Dx. diagnosis Med. medical, medicine
EBL estimated blood loss mod. moderate
e.g. for example NG; N/G nasogastric
ENT ears, nose, throat NKA no known allergies
EOM extra ocular movement noct. nighttime
etiol. etiology NPO nothing by mouth/
ETOH alcohol N&V nausea and vomiting
 fx fracture NVD normal vaginal delivery
GI gastrointestinal o; os orally; by mouth
GU genitourinal O2 oxygen
gyn gynecology O.D. right eye
H/A headache OOB out of bed (up and about)
HEENT head, eyes, ears, nose, throat OP outpatient
OR operating room RLQ right lower quadrant
OT occupational therapy ROM range of motion
OTC over the counter R; rt right
O.U. both eyes R/T related to
p after RUQ right upper quadrant
p.c. after meals Rx prescription, treatment
PEARL pupils equal, and reactive to light s without
per by SOB shortness of breath
PERRL pupils equal, round, reactive to light SR side rail
PERRLA pupils equal, round, reactive to light S/S sign and symptom
with accommodation
P.M after noon surg. surgery
PMH previous medical history sym symmetrical
PND paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea TBA to be absorbed
p.o. by mouth temp. temperature
POD post operative day tid three times a day
postop. postoperative TLC tender loving care
PP postpartum TPR temperature, pulse respiration
prep prepare for tx. treatment
prn as needed UO urinary output
pt. patient V.O, ; v.o, verbal order
PT physical therapy vol. volume
q every VS vital signs
qd every day w/c wheel chair
qh every hour WD warm and dry
qid four times a day WD/WN well developed, well nourished
qod every other day WNL within normal limits
qs sufficient quantity wt. weight, weigh
RLE right lower extremity y/o years old
RLL right lower lobe
QUICK GUIDE TO MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY

General Guidelines for using the terms

1. Divide the words into component parts
a. Root: foundation of the term
b. Suffix: word ending
c. Prefix: word beginning
d. Combining vowel: often the letter “o” links the components
2. Interpret the word
a. Start with the suffix, then read the beginning and middle.
3. Spelling: Drop the combining vowel before a suffix beginning with a vowel, but keep it when it occurs between two root
words.
4. Pronounce the word.
a. Pronounce the component at a time. The following hints may help:
i. Pronounce “-es” at the end of a word as a separate syllable, “-eez” (example: nares)
ii. Pronounce “i” (when it forms a plural at the end of a word) as “eye”
iii. Pronounce “pn” as an “n” (example: pneumothorax)
iv. The “ch” is often pronounced as a “k” (example: chronic, chromic)
b. Decide which syllable to emphasize.
i. Use a dictionary
ii. Often the emphasis comes in the second syllable for three-syllable words and in the
third syllable for four-or more syllable words.
iii. As you become more facile with medical terminology, the proper placing of the
accent will become more natural.

KEY PREFIXES
Describing Time and Place
ante- before inter- between parts
anti- against juxta- near
circum- around medi- middle
contra- opposite noct- night
dorso-, dorsi- back para- beside, beyond
endo- within peri- around
epi- on, over, upon post- after
extra- outside of pre- before
gen- beginning, origin sub- beneath
hypo- below, under supra- above
intra- within a part

Related to Type
a-, an- without, absent mal- bad
ankyl- crooked, bent, fused, stiff neo- new,new and different
auto- self non- not

bio- life normo- normal

brady- slow ortho- straight, erect, correct
eu- good, true,normal oxy- sharp, acute
glyco-, gluco- sugar, sweet path- disease, suffering
hetero- other, different pseudo- false
homo- same sclero- hard
hydro- water tachy- fast
iso- same, equal toxic- poisonous
xero- dry

Describing Direction
ab- away from ex- away from, out completely
ad- toward, to par- aside, beyond, apart, from
de- away, not, down re- back, again
dextro- right retro- backward. behind
e- out sinister(o)- left

Describing Number or Quantity

ambi-, amphi-, both mono- one
bi-, two multi- many
centi- 100 nulli- none
deca- 10 pan- all
di-, dis- twice, doubly poly- many
diplo- double quadr(i)- four
hemi- half semi- half
holo- whole, all tetra- four
milli- 1000 tri- three
uni- one

Describing Size and Amount

brachy- short micro- small
brevi- short, slow olig(o)- little, small scanty, deficient
macro-, mega- large

Denoting Color
alba- white leuko- white
chloro- green lute- yellow
cirrh- yellow nigro- black
cyano- blue rube- red
erythro- red xantho- yellow

Miscellanous
pyo- pus
pyro- fever, heat

KEY SUFFIXES
Noun Suffixes
-ance quality or act of -meter measure
-cide killer -ology study of
-ectasia,-ectasis dilatation or expansion of -phylaxis protection
-form shape -poesis production, formation of
-gen production of -stenia strength
-ician, -ist once charged with or skilled in

Adjectival Suffixes
-ac pertaining to -fugal driving or traveling away from
-ary that which is, pertaining to -ic pertaining to
-ad toward, in the direction of -trophic related to nutrition, growth,
-al pertaining to development

-tropic turning toward, changing

Denoting a State or Condition

-algia pain -rrhage, -rrhagia bursting forth
-atresia abnormal closure -rrhea flow, discharge
-cele swelling, tumor -stasis state of being at a standstill
-cyst bladderlike sac - sthenia strength
-dynia pain -tonia stretching, putting under
-ema swelling, distention tension
-emia in the blood -vert turn
-esthesia feeling, nervous, sensation
-ia, -iasis a diseased condition
-ism a condition of
-itis inflammation
-ikinesia movement
-lepsy seizure
-lexia words, speech
-malacia softening
-oma tumor
-paresis slight paralysis
-pathy suffering, disease
-penia deficiency, lack
-phagia swallowing
-phasia speech
-philia love of
-phobia fear of
-plegia paralysis
-praxia action
-ptosis dropping, or
downward displacement
Related to a Surgical or Diagnostic Procedure
-centesis puncture of a cavity
-cis cut
-desis binding, fusion
-ectomy excision, cutting out
-gram, -graphy act or method of recording
-lysis setting free, dissolution
-ostomy creation of a mouth or opening
-otomy cutting into
-pexy fixation
-plasty molding or shaping
-scope, -scopy looking at, examining
-sect cut
-tome instrument for cutting
-tripsy rubbing or crushing

Related to Chemical Compounds

-ase enzyme
-ol oil, or alcohol
-ose carbohydrate
-yl matter, substance, a radical

Miscellaneous
-sepsis infection
-septecemia infection in the blood