Medical
Abbreviations:
An introduction
Medical Abbreviations
• Shortened forms for convenience
•Usually just letters; they are part of a
physician’s orders, a medication
prescription, or a client’s chart
•Health care workers are expected to
recognize most common abbreviations
•Some abbreviations are no longer
approved — if it is on the “undesirable” or
“do not use” list, then DO NOT USE !!!
Remember, medical terminology
was derived primarily from Greek
& Latin
--these were the
languages of scholarly
people in ancient times
Because of the use of two languages,
you might see different abbreviations that
mean the same thing.
Example:
• EKG - “K” (kardia) = heart --Greek
electro/kardio/gram
• ECG
-“C” (cardia) = heart -- Latin
electro/cardio/gram
SPELLING COUNTS
WHY??
A medication is to be taken once every
day (q.d.), but a health care provider
mistakenly writes q.i.d on the prescription.
What will be the result of writing the
incorrect abbreviation? (check
your handout !!)
Decode
this!
Use your handout or section 5-5
in the textbook to write out the
full forms for these medical short
forms.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
NPO for a BE in the am.
Dx UTI; give inj. q.i.d
FBS q.am. and h.s.
BR c BRP, maintain I and O
Perform ROM for RA TID
The
Answers!
1. Nothing by mouth for a
barium enema in the morning
2. Diagnosis Urinary Tract
infection; give injection 4 times
a day
3. Fasting blood sugar every
morning and at bedtime
4. bed rest with bathroom
privileges, maintain intake and
output
5. Perform range of motion for
rheumatoid arthritis 3 times a day