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Med Patient Status
Medical Terminology
Term | Definition |
---|---|
medical orders | are instructions to medical staff. |
no added salt (NAS) | indicates that a patient should not be given additional salt at meals |
no known allergies (NKA) | describes a patient who has no recorded or known allergies. |
nothing by mouth (NPO) | is a medical order instructing medical staff to not allow the patient to ingest any substances orally. |
out of bed (OOB) | indicates that a patient should get out of bed for a particular activity, or just for the exercise of getting out of bed. |
bed rest (BR) | is an order requiring consistent rest time in bed. |
complete bed rest (CBR) | is an order requiring that a patient remain in bed at all times. |
bathroom privileges (BRP) | indicate that a patient has permission to use bathroom facilities unsupervised and at his or her own discretion |
do not resuscitate (DNR) | is a signed legal order that states that a patient is not to be administered life-saving procedures if the heart or breathing stops. |
emergency procedures | are actions performed in a hospital or at the scene of an emergency when someone requires immediate medical care. |
medical procedures | are actions performed on a patient, which can include tests using sophisticated medical technology. |
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) | is an emergency procedure administered to a patient whose heart has stopped beating |
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) | is an imaging technique that uses magnets to obtain structural or functional images of the body |
computer axial tomography (CAT) | is an imaging technique that uses invisible energy waves to obtain cross-sectional images of the body. |
positron emission tomography (PET) | is an imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image of a functional process in the body. |
ultrasound (US) | is an imaging technique that uses sound waves to create images of structures inside the body. |
electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) | is a measurement of the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time. |
electroencephalogram (EEG) | is a measurement of the brain’s spontaneous electrical activity over a period of time |
advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) | is a series of life-sustaining procedures administered in response to major heart traumas. |
advanced life support (ALS) | is a series of procedures administered to a patient to sustain vital life processes, such as breathing and heartbeat. |
alert, awake, and oriented (AAO) | patients are awake, know who and where they are, recognize those around them, and know the date and time. |
afebrile (afeb) | indicates no fever and denotes a patient with a normal body temperature of approximately 98.6°F. |
while awake (WA) | indicates that an action must take place while the patient is awake |
loss of consciousness (LOC) | indicates that the patient at some point lost awareness and could not respond to cues. |
range of motion (ROM) | is a description of the ability of a patient to move his or her joints. |
prescription (Rx) | indicates the drugs a patient is currently taking or has formerly been ordered to take. |
prognosis (Px) | is an indication of the probable course or outcome of a patient’s disease or condition |
blood pressure (B/P) | describes the pressure of the blood against the tubes that it travels through |
blood sugar (BS) | refers to the amount of glucose in a patient’s blood. |
fasting blood work (FBW) | work is blood work taken after several hours of fasting, or not eating. |
heart rate (HR or BPM) | a measure of how many times the heart beats in a minute. |
keep vein open (KVO) | indicates that a catheter inserted into a blood vein should be kept at a constant drip rate. |
Treatment (Tx) | is the current method of treating the patient’s symptoms. |
History (Hx) | refers to a patient’s medical history |
chief complaint (CC) | indicates the reason the patient is seeking medical attention. |
discharge against medical advice (DAMA) | is used on a discharge order to indicate that the patient requested to leave a medical facility although the medical supervisor advised against it. |
stat | immediately, indicating that an order should be executed with no delay. |
as needed (PRN) | indicates that a medication should be dispensed as needed by the patient. |
as tolerated (as tol) | indicates that an activity can be done as long as it does not cause the patient discomfort. |
b.i.d. | means twice a day, indicating that a prescription should be taken twice a day |