Abbreviations & Meaning °C Celsius degree (or centigrade)

Acronyms

  c With

Ca Cancer
aa Of each, equal parts

Cath. Catheter
ABR Absolute bed rest

CBC or C.B.C. Complete blood count

Abd. Abdomen

cc or c.c Cubic centimeter

ac Before meals

CCU or C.C.U Cardiac care unit/ coronary

AD Admitting diagnosis care unit

CBR or C.B.R. or cbr Complete bed rest

A&D Admission and discharge

C/O or c/o Complaint of

Ad lib As desired, if the patient so
desired
CO2 Carbon dioxide
ADL Activities of daily living

CS or C.S. or c.s Central supply

Adm. Admission

CSD or csd or C.S.D Central service department

Ad. Spec. Admission urine specimen

CSR or csr and C.S.R Central supply room

A.M. or a.m., AM or Morning
am
CVA or C.V.A Cerebrovascular
amb Ambulation, walking, accident or stroke
ambulatory, able to walk
CPR or C.P.R Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
amt. Amount

dc or d/c Discontinue
AP or A.P. Appendectomy

del. M. Or d.r., or Delivery room

aqua Water or H2O DR

Disch or dish or D/C Discharge

@ At

D. % C. or D&C Dilatation and curettage

Approx. Approximately

drsg. Dressing
B&B or b&b Bowel and bladder training

DOA or D.O.A Dead on arrival

bid or B.I.D. or Twice a day
b.i.d.
Dr. or Dr Doctor
b.m. or B.M. Bowel movement, feces

DX Diagnosis
B.P. or BP Blood pressure

ECG or EKG Electrocardiogram

BR or br or B.R. or Bedrest
b.r.
ED or E.D. Emergency department
BRP or B.R.P. or brp Bathroom priviledges

EEG or E.E.G. Electroencephalogram

BSC or bsc Bedside commode
EENT or E.E.N.T. Eye, ears, nose and throat Irr Irregular

E. or E Enema Isol. Or isol Isolation

ER or E.R. Emergency room IV or I.V. Intravenous

°F Fahrenheit degree L Liter

F. or Fe. or F or Fe Female Lab. or lab Laboratory

FBS or F.B.S Fasting blood sugar lb Pound

FF or F.F. Forced feeding or forced fluids LVN or L.V.N Licensed vocational nurse

ft Foot M Male

Fx Fracture Mat Maternity

Fx urine Fractional urine MD or M.D. Medical doctor

gal Gallon Meas Measure

GI or G.I. Gastrointestinal mec Meconium

gt One drop med Medicine

gtt Two or more drops min Minute

Gtt or G.T.T. Glucose tolerance test ml Milliliter

GU or G.U Genitourinary Mn or mn or M/n Midnight

Gyn. or G.Y.N. Gynecology N.A. or N/A Nursing aide or nursing

assistant

H2O Water or aqua n/g tube or ng. tube Nasogastric tube

or N.G.T.

HOB Head of bed noct At night

hr Hour NP Neuropsychiatric or nursing

procedure

HS or hs Bedtime or hour of sleep NPO or N.P.O Nothing by mouth

ht Height nsy Nursery

hyper Above or high Obt or obt. Obtained

hypo Below or low OJ or O.J. Orange juice

ICU or I.C.U. Intensive care unit Orb. Orderly

I&O or I.&O. Intake and output OOB or O.O.B. Out of bed

OPD or O.P.D. Outpatient department S&A test or S.& A. Sugar and acetone test
test
S&K or S.& K. test Sugar and ketone test
OR or O.R. Operating room
SOB Shortness of breath
sos Whenever emergency arises;
Ortho Orthopedics only if necessary
SPD Special purchasing department
OT or O.T Occupational therapy or oral Spec or spec. Specimen
temperature
ss or ?? One-half
Pc After meals SSE or S.S.E. Soapsuds enema
Stat At once, immediately
Ped or Peds Pediatrics STD Sexually transmitted disease
Surg Surgery
Per by, through tid or T.I.D. Three times a day
TLC or tlc Tender loving care
p.m. or P.M., pm or Afternoon TPR Temperature, pulse, respiration
PM TWE Tap water enema
PMC or P.M.C Postmortem care U/a or U/A or u/a Urinalysis
Ung. Ointment, unguentine

PN or P.N. Pneumonia VDRL Test for syphilis

V.S or VS Vital signs
WBC or W.B.C. White blood count
po By mouth
w/c Wheel chair
wc or W.C. Ward clerk
post or p after
wt Weight

postop or post op Postoperative

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 Every morning
q.a.m.
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
 Position

Patient lies flat on back.

Additional supportive devices may be
added for comfort.
Patient’s head of bed is placed at a
Supine 30-degree angle. This position is
position used for patients who have cardiac
or respiratory conditions, and for
Semi- patients with a nasogastric tube.
Fowler’s
position
Patient lies on stomach with head turned
to the side.

Prone
position
Patient sits at the side of the bed with
Orthopneic
head resting on an over-bed table on top
or tripod
of several pillows. This position is used
position
for patients with breathing difficulties.
Patient lies on the side of the body
with the top leg over the bottom leg. Place the head of the bed lower than the feet.
This position helps relieve pressure This position is used in situations such as
on the coccyx. hypotension and medical emergencies. It helps
Lateral promote venous return to major organs such as
position Trendelenb the head and heart.
urg
position

Patient lies between supine and prone

with legs flexed in front of the patient.
Arms should be comfortably placed beside
the patient, not underneath.
Sims
position

Fowler’s Patient’s head of bed is placed at a

position 45-degree angle. Hips may or may not
be flexed. This is a common position
to provide patient comfort and care.
 Ranges:
AGE PULSE RATE

Infants 100-160 BMP

Toddler (1-3) 90-150 BMP

Preschooler (3-6) 80-140 BMP

School Age (6-12) 70-120 BMP

Adolescent (12-18) 60-100 BMP

Adult 60-100 BMP

Amplitude:
0 Absent Pulse
1+ Weak,
thready pulse
2+ Normal
3+ Increased
4+ Bounding Pulse

Respiratory Rate:
Infant 30-60 Breaths/min.
Toddler (1-3) 24-40
Preschooler (3-6) 22-34
School Age (6-12) 18-30
Adolescent (12-18) 12-20
Adult 12-20

Categories of BP Levels in Adults:

CATEGORY SYSTOLE DIASTOLE
Normal <120 <80
Prehypertension 120-139 80-89
Stage 1 140-159 90-99
Hypertension
Stage 2 >160 >100
Hypertension