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Key Abbreviations

Quiz yourself by thinking what should be in each of the black spaces below before clicking on it to display the answer.
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Abbreviation
Term
Definition
AD   Alzheimers disease   a chronic neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and worsens over time. A common form of dementia of unknown cause, characterized by progressive memory loss and mental deterioration associated with brain damage.  
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ADL   Activities of daily living   are routine activities people do every day without assistance. There are six basic ADLs: eating, bathing, getting dressed, toileting, transferring and continence.  
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AE   Anti-embolism; anti-embolic   Preventing or inhibiting thrombus(a stationary blood clot along the wall of a blood vessel). The correct term is “antithrombotic.”  
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AED   Automated external defibrillator   a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation.  
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AHA   American heart association   a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke  
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AIDS   Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome   is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight the organisms that cause disease.  
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ALR   Assisted living residence   is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or choose not to live independently.  
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ALS   Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis   a progressive degeneration of the motor neurons of the central nervous system, leading to wasting of the muscles and paralysis.  
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AMD   Age-related macular degeneration   An eye disease with its onset usually after age 60 that can progressively destroy the macula, the central portion of the retina, impairing central vision, rarely causes blindness because only the center of vision is affected.  
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ASL   American Sign Language   is a visual-gestural language used by 500,000 members of the North American Deaf community.  
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abd   Abdomen   the part of the body of a vertabrate containing the digestive organs; the belly/gut.  
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AC   Before meals   Abbreviation on a prescription meaning before meals  
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AKA   Above-the-knee amputation   is a surgical procedure performed to remove the lower limb above the knee joint when that limb has been severely damaged or diseased.  
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AM   Morning   Morning  
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AMB   Ambulate   walk; move about.  
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amt   Amount   Amount  
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ap   Apical   relating to or denoting the top or highest part of something.  
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BLS   Basic life support   is a level of medical care which is used for victims of life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care at a hospital.  
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BM; bms   Bowel movement   is the last stop in the movement of food through your digestive tract. Your stool passes out of your body through the rectum and anus.  
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BP   Blood pressure   the pressure of the blood in the circulatory system, often measured for diagnosis since it is closely related to the force and rate of the heartbeat and the diameter and elasticity of the arterial walls.  
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BPD   Borderline personality disorder   is a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by unstable relationships with other people, unstable sense of self, and unstable emotions.  
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BPH   Benign prostatic hyperplasia   A common, noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. The enlarged prostate may compress the urinary tube (urethra), which courses through the center of the prostate, impeding the flow of urine from the bladder through the urethra to the outside.  
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BE   Barium enema(x-ray)   is an X-ray exam that can detect changes or abnormalities in the large intestine (colon). The procedure is also called a colon X-ray. An enema is the injection of a liquid into your rectum through a small tube.  
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BKA   Below-the-knee amputation   is an amputation often performed for foot and ankle problems. The BKA often leads to the use of an artificial leg that can allow a patient to walk. A BKA is performed roughly in the area between the ankle and knee.  
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BRP   Bathroom privileges   Bathroom privileges  
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C   Centigrade/Celsius   a measure of temperature  
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CAD   Coronary artery disease   is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle.  
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CDC   Centers for disease control and prevention   is the leading national public health institute of the United States. Its main goal is to protect public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability in the US and internationally.  
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C.diff   Clostridium difficile   s a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon.  
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CMS   Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services   An agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that manages the federal health care programs of Medicare and Medicaid  
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CNS   Central nervous system   the complex of nerve tissues that controls the activities of the body. In vertebrates it comprises the brain and spinal cord.  
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CO2   Carbon dioxide   a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds and by respiration.  
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COPD   Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease   is a long-term lung disease that refers to both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD symptoms include persistent cough with mucus and shortness of breath.  
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CPR   Cardiopulmonary resuscitation   a medical procedure involving repeated compression of a patient's chest, performed in an attempt to restore the blood circulation and breathing of a person who has suffered cardiac arrest.  
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CVA   Cerebral vascular accident   is the medical term for a stroke. A stroke is when blood flow to a part of your brain is stopped either by a blockage or the rupture of a blood vessel.  
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C(with line over it)   With   With  
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Ca   Cancer   also called malignancy, is an abnormal growth of cells.  
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CABG   Coronary artery bypass graft   is a surgical procedure to restore normal blood flow to an obstructed coronary artery aka Open heart surgery.  
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cal   Calories   is a unit of energy.  
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cath   Catheter   a flexible tube inserted through a narrow opening into a body cavity, particularly the bladder, for removing fluid.  
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CBC   Complete blood count   is a blood test used to evaluate your overall health and detect a wide range of disorders, including anemia, infection and leukemia. Measures several components and features of your blood, including: Red blood cells, which carry oxygen.  
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CBR   Complete bed rest   is a medical treatment in which a person lies in bed for most of the time to try to cure an illness.  
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CNA   Certified nursing assistant   helps patients or clients with healthcare needs under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).  
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C/o   Complains of   Complains of  
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CS   Central service/central supply   is an integrated place in hospitals and other health care facilities that performs sterilization and other actions on medical devices, equipment and consumables.  
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DNR   Do not resuscitate   is a legal order written either in the hospital or on a legal form to withhold CPR or advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), in respect of the wishes of a patient in case their heart were to stop or they were to stop breathing.  
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DON   Director of nursing   is a registered nurse who supervises the care of all the patients at a health care facility. The director of nursing is the one who is responsible for communicating between the nursing staff and the physicians at a health care facility.  
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DOA   Dead on arrival   used to describe a person who is declared dead immediately upon arrival at a hospital.  
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DOE   Dyspnea on exertion   Difficulty in breathing, often associated with lung or heart disease and resulting in shortness of breath. Also called air hunger.  
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DRSG   Dressing   is a sterile pad or compress applied to a wound to promote healing and protect the wound from further harm.  
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Dx   Diagnosis   the identification of the nature of an illness or other problem by examination of the symptoms.  
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E. coli   Escherichia coli   E. coli (Escherichia coli) is one of several types of bacteria that normally inhabit the intestine of humans and animals (commensal organism).  
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EEOC   Equal employment opportunity commission   a body appointed by the president of the United States to administer the Civil Rights Act of 1964, particularly to investigate complaints of discrimination in employment in businesses engaged in interstate commerce.  
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EHR   Electronic health record   a computerized repository for a patient's health information providing information to members of the health care team regarding a clinical encounter.  
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EMR   Electronic medical record   A computerised record of a person's health “transactions”, collated from summaries of individual electronic patient records and other relevant data.  
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EMS   Emergency medical services   An agency that provides prehospital care and transport to the sick and wounded.  
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ECG; EKG   Electrocardiogram   a graphic tracing of the variations in electrical potential caused by the excitation of the heart muscle and detected at the body surface.  
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EENT   Eye, ear, nose and throat   Eye, ear, nose and throat  
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ER   Emergency room   The section of a health care facility for providing rapid treatment to victims of sudden illness or trauma.  
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F   Fahrenheit   point of water is 32°F at sea level.  
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FBAO   Foreign-body airway obstruction   a partial or complete blockage of the breathing tubes to the lungs due to a foreign body (for example, food, a bead, toy, etc.  
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FDA   Food and drug administration   is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments.  
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FBS   Fasting blood sugar   The fasting blood glucose test is commonly used to detect diabetes mellitus. A blood sample is taken in a lab, physician's office, or hospital. The test is done in the morning, before the person has eaten.  
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fl; fld   Fluid   Fluid  
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Fx   Fracture   break or cause to break.  
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FUO   Fever of unknown origin   is a fever of at least 101°F (38.3°C) that lasts for more than three weeks or occurs frequently without explanation. Even when a doctor can’t determine the cause of the fever at first, a diagnosis is a step toward treating  
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GI   Gastro-intestinal   pertaining to or communicating with the stomach and intestine.  
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gtt   Drops   Drops  
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gtt/min   Drops per minute   Drops per minute  
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gal   Gallon   Gallon  
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GB   Gallbladder   the pear-shaped organ located below the liver. It serves as a storage place for bile.  
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GU   Genito-urinary   pertaining to the urinary system and genitalia; called also urinogenital and urogenital.  
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HAI   Healthcare-associated infection   are infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving treatment for other conditions within a healthcare setting.  
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HBV   Hepatitis B virus   A virus which primarily causes inflammation of the liver. Can be transmitted by blood transfusion, needle sticks, body piercing and tattooing using unsterile instruments, dialysis, sexual and even less intimate close contact, and childbirth etc.  
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Hg   Mercury   mercury or one of its compounds used medicinally, especially to treat syphilis.  
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HIPAA   Health insurance portability and accountability act of 1996   Public Law 104-191, was enacted on August 21, 1996. Sections 261 through 264 of HIPAA require the Secretary of HHS to publicize standards for the electronic exchange, privacy and security of health information.  
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HIV   Human immunodeficiency virus   A sexually transmitted disease that transmits through HIV-infected body fluids, such as blood, semen, and vaginal fluids, or from a mother who has HIV to her child during pregnancy, labor and delivery, or breastfeeding(breat milk).  
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H2O   Water   Water  
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h; hr   Hour   Hour  
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ht   Height   Height  
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hx   History   History  
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IBD   Inflammatory bowel disease    
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ID   Identification    
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I&O   Intake and output    
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IPV   Intimate partner violence    
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IV   Intravenous    
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ICU   Intensive care unit    
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L/min   Liters per minute    
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LPN/LVN   Licensed practical nurse/ licensed vocational nurse    
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L   Left; liter    
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Lab   Laboratory    
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lb   Pound    
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liq   Liquid    
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LLQ   Left lower quadrant    
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LOC   Level of consciousness    
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lt   Left    
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LUQ   Left upper quadrant    
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MDRO   Multi-drug resistant organism    
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MDS   Minimum data sheet    
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mg   Milligram    
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Ml   Myocardial infection    
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mL   Millileter    
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mL/hr   Miillileter per hour    
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mm   Millimeter    
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mm Hg   Millimeters of mercury    
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MRSA   Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus    
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MS   Multiple sclerosis    
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MSD   Musculo-skeletal disorder    
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meds   Medications    
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mid noc   midnight    
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min   minute    
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NATCEP   nursing assistant training and competancy evalutation program    
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NCSBN   national counsil of state boards of nursing    
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NG   naso-gastric    
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NIA   national institute on aging    
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NPO   nothing per mouth; nothing by mouth    
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NPUAP   national pressure ulcer advisory panel    
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neg   negative    
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noc   night    
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NA   nursing assistant    
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O2   oxygen    
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OBRA   omnibus budget reconcilliation act of 1987    
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OCD   obsessive-compulsive disorder    
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OPIM   other potentially infectious materials    
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OSHA   occupational safety and health administration    
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oz   ounce    
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OB   obstetrics    
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OOB   out of bed    
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OR   operation room    
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os   mouth    
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OT   occupational therapy    
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PASS   pull the safety pin, aim low, squeeze the lever, sweep back and forth    
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PHI   protected health information    
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PPE   personal proctective equipment    
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PROM   passive range of motion    
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PTSD   post-traumatic stress disorder    
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PC   after meals    
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PCA   patient-controlled analgesia    
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peds   pediatrics    
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per   by; through    
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PO   by mouth; orally    
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post-op   postoperative    
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Prep   Preparation    
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prn   When necessary    
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Pt   Patient    
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PT   Physical therapy    
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q   Every    
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qh   Every hour    
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q2h, q3h, etc   Every 2 hours, every 3 hours and so on    
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R   Rectal temperature, respiration, right    
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RBC   Red blood cell, red blood count    
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RLQ   Right lower quadrant    
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RN   Registered nurse    
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R/O   Rule out    
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ROM   Range of motion    
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RR   Recovery room    
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rt   Right    
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RUQ   Right upper quadrant    
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RA   Rheumatoid arthritis    
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RACE   Rescue, alarm, confine, extinguish    
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RRT   Rapid response team    
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SCA   Sudden cardiac arrest    
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SDS   Safety data sheet    
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SNF   Skilled nursing facility    
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SpO2   Saturation of peripheral oxygen(oxygen concentration)    
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STD   Sexually transmitted disease    
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S(with line over it)   Without    
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Spec   Specimen    
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SSE   Soapsuds enema    
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stat   At once, immediately    
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TB   Tuberculosis    
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TIA   Transient ischemic attack    
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TJC   The joint commission    
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TPR   Temperature, pulse, and respirations    
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tbsp   Tablespoon    
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TLC   Tender loving care    
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tsp   Teaspoon    
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U/a   Urinalysis    
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UTI   Urinary tract infection    
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USDA   United States department of agriculture    
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VF; V-fib   Ventricular fibrillation    
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VRE   Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci    
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VS   Vital signs    
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WBC   White blood cell; white blood count    
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w/c   Wheelchair   Wheelchair  
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wt   Weight   Weight  
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