ANGELES UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

COLLEGE OF NURSING

NURSING CARE MANAGEMENT 100

A. Commonly Used Abbreviations

ABBREVIATION ENGLISH MEANING
Abd Abdomen
ADL Activities of daily living
ad lib As desired
A.M morning
amb/AMB ambulate
AMA against medical advice
Amt amount
Approx approximately
A-R apical-radical pulse rate
Ax axillary
APL Anterior-posterior-lateral
a.k.a also known as
AKA above the knees amputation
AV shunt anterior-venous shunt
BKA below the knee amputation
BCG Bacillus Culmette Guerin
BG blood glucose
BP blood pressure
BM/BS bowel movement/bowel sound
BRP bathroom privilege
C centigrade
c with
c/c complaints of, complaint, chief complaint
Cc cubic centimeter
CP clearance cardio-pulmonary clearance
CBC complete blood count
CCU coronary care unit
CCMS clean-catch midstream specimen
C&S culture and sensitivity
Dx diagnosis
DC discharge/discontinue
DOA dead on arrival
DTV due to void
DPT Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus
D/W distilled water
D5W dextrose, 5% in water
ECG, EKG electrocardiogram
EMG electomyogram
F Fahrenheit
FF force fluid
FM face mask
FP family planning
GB gallbladder
HOH hard of hearing
h/h hemoglobin and hematocrit
H&P history and physical examination
Hx history
Inj injection
I&O intake and output
IPPB intermittent positive pressure breathing
IV intravenous fluid
LLE left lower extremity
LUE left upper extremity
LLQ left lower quadrant
LUQ left upper quadrant
MS medical surgical
MMR measles, mumps, rubella
MVA moving vehicle accident
NC nasal canula
NGT nasogastric tube
N.S normal saline
NPO nothing per orem
N/V nausea and vomiting
OB obstetrics
OD right eye
OS left eye
OU both eyes
OT occupational therapy
OPV oral polio vaccine
OOB out of bed
P pulse
p.o/t.o telephone order
P.E physical examination
PR pulse rate
PT physical therapy
Pt. patient
per by way of
q every
q.s a sufficient quality
q.o.d every other day
RHC respiration have ceased
RLE right lower extremity
RUE right upper extremity
RLQ right lower quadrant
RUQ right upper quadrant
ROM range of motion
s without
ss sliding scale
SS social services
SOB shortness of breath
S/A sugar and acetone
SSE soup sud enema
T temperature
tsp teaspoon
tbsp tablespoon
TCDB turning, coughing, deep breathing
tx treatment
TPR temperature, pulse, respiration
TOI time of incident
TLC total lung capacity, tender loving care
TURP transurethral resection of the prostate
U/A urinalysis
VS vital signs
via by way of
v.o verbal order
w/c wheel chair
wt weight
WNL within normal limits
x times
x-ray roentgenograph

B. Common Abbreviation of Diseases/Conditions

ASHD atherosclerotic heart disease
Ca cancer
CAD coronary artery disease
CHF congestive heart failure
CP cerebral palsy
CRF chronic renal failure
CVA cerebrovascular accident
COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
DM diabetes mellitus
DKA diabetic ketoacidosis
DVT deep vein thrombosis
ESRD end-stage renal failure
HAV hepatitis A virus
HBV hepatitis B virus
HPN hypertension
IBD inflammatory bowel disease
IDDM insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
NIDDM non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
MI myocardial infarction
MS multiple sclerosis
PNU pneumonia
PVD peripheral vascular disease
PE pulmonary embolism
TB tuberculosis
TIA transient ischemic attack
STD sexually transmitted disease

C. Common Abbreviation of diagnostic procedure/laboratory tests

Abbreviation English meaning
ABG Arterial blood gases
BE barium enema
BUN blood urea nitrogen
CBC complete blood count
CSF cerebrospinal fluid
ERCP endoscopic retrograde, cholongiopreatography
ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate
FBS fasting blood sugar
Hct hematocrit
Hbg hemoglobin
IVP intravenous pyelogram
K potassium
LP lumber puncture
LFT liver function test
MRI magnetic resonance imaging
PFT pulmonary function test
PPD purified protein derivative
PT prothrombin time
PTT partial thromboplastin time
RBC red blood cell
TLC total lung capacity
TV total volume
UGIS upper gastrointestinal series
VC vital capacity
WBC white blood cell
ECG/EKG electrocardiogram
CXR chest x-ray
UA urinalysis

D. Common abbreviations found in drug orders

Abbreviations English meaning
A before
Aa of each
a.c before meals
b.i.d/BID twice a day
c with
cap. (s) capsule (s)
dl deciliter
dil dilute
disp dispense
elix elixir
ext extract
fl fluid
g/gm/G/Gm gram
gr grain
Gtt. (s) drops
H/h hours
h.s/H.S hour of sleep/at bed time
I.u/I.U international units
ID intradermal
IM intramuscular
IV intravenous
Kg kilogram
L/l liter
lb. (s) pound (s)
mEq milliequivalent
Mg milligram
mL, ml milliliter
M. mix
m minim
no./No./# number
Non.rep do not repeat/refill
O pint
QID 4 times a day
fx fracture
TID 3 times a day
stat immediately/now
pc after meals
amb ambulatory
CBR complete bed rest
PRN as needed
BPN bronchio pneumonia
DHF dengue hemorrhagic fever
BFC Benign Febrile Convulsion
drsg dressing

Cura, Lorelyn Jane P.