Medical Abbreviations:

1
Medical Abbreviations

• An introduction

2
Medical Abbreviations

• Shortened forms for convenience

• Usually just letters they are part of a
  physicians orders, a medication prescription, or
  a clients 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 !!!

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Remember, medical terminology was derived
primarily from Greek Latin
--these were the languages of scholarly people
in ancient times
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Because of the use of two languages,
you might see different abbreviations that mean
the same thing.

• Example
• EKG
• ECG

- K (kardia) heart --Greek
electro/kardio/gram
-C (cardia) heart -- Latin
electro/cardio/gram
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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 !!)
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Now for the activity---
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Decode this!
Use your handout or section 5-5 in the textbook
to write out the full forms for these medical
short forms.

1. NPO for a BE in the am.
2. Dx UTI give inj. q.i.d
3. FBS q.am. and h.s.
4. BR c BRP, maintain I and O
5. Perform ROM for RA TID

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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