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