A
Assessment
a
before
ac
before meals
ad lib
as desired
am/AM
between midnight and noon
amt
amount
bid
twice a day
Bx
biopsy
c
with
C
celsius, centigrade
CC
chief complain
cc
cubic centimeter
cm
centimeter
c/o
complains of
CT
computerized tomography
d
day
dc/DC or D/C
discontinue
DRG
diagnosis-related group
Dx
diagnosis
ER
emergency room
ETA
Estimated time of arrival
ETOH
ethanol (alcohol)
F
Farenheit
FUO
Fever of Unknown origen
g or gm
gram
gtt or gtts
drop or drops
h
hour
Hg
mercury
H2O2
hydrogen peroxide
H & P or HxPx
history and physical
hs
hour of sleep
Ht
height
Hx
history
ICU
intensive care unit
I & D
incision and Drainage
I & O
intake and output
IP
inpatient
K
Potassium
Kg
kilogram
L/l
liter
Ib or #
pound
ml
mililiter
mm
milimeter
N/A
not applicable
neg
negative
NKA
no known allergies
NKDA
no known drug allergies
noct
nocturnal, or night
NPO
nothing by mouth
N & V
nausea and vomiting
OD
overdose or right eye
oint
ointment
OP
outpatient
OR
operating room
OTC
over-the-counter
OV
office visit
oz
ounce
p
after
PDR
physicians desk reference
per
through/of
PET
positron emission tomography
PK
pain killer
pm/PM
between noon and midnight
PO
orally or by mouth
PRN/prn
as needed
Pt/pt
patient
q
every
qam
every morning
qd/qday
every day
q_h
every (number) hour
qid
four times a day
reg
regular
r/o, R/O
rule out
ROS
review of systems
RTC
Return to clinic
Rx
medical prescription
s
without
sig
instructions or directions
sm
small
SO
standing order or significant other
S & S
signs and symptoms
stat
immediatly
T
temperature
tab
tablet
tbsp
tablespoon
temp
temperature
tid
three times a day
tsp
teaspoon
Tx
therapy or treatment
U
unit
UNK
unknown
w/a
while awake
wk
week
Wt
weight
arrow up
increasing
arrow down
decreasing
arrow to the right
to the right
arrow to the left
to the left
-
aproximately
triangle
change
<
less than
>
greater than
prophase
first phase of cell division
metaphase
changing phase (second) of cell division
anaphase
apart phase of cell division
telophase
end phase of cell division
aplasia
without growth
aplastic
pertaining to without repair or failure to develop normally
bacteriocide
to kill bacteria
bacteriophage
to eat bacteria
biopsy
to take a section of living tissue for viewing
calculus
condition of stones, small stones, calcium deposits
calcipenia
deficiency of calcium
catabolism
condition of breakdown of substances
cribriform
resembling a shape of a sieve
cytolemma
cell membrane
cytology
the study of cells
etiology
the study of the causes of diseases
extracellular
pertaining to outside a cell
homeostasis
condition of standing still, staying the same
hyperplasia
growth beyond normal
hypotonic
pertaining to below normal pressure
insomnia
state of not being able to sleep
intracellular
pertaining to within a cell
isotonic
pertaining to equal pressure
lyposomes
destroying bodies
pathology
the study of diseases
somatic
pertaining to the body
somnambulism
state of sleep walking
syndrome
symptoms that run together