Medical Abbreviations:

1. Medical Abbreviations: An introduction

2. Medical Abbreviations • Usually just letters; they are part of a physician’s orders, a medication prescription, or a client’s chart • Shortened forms for convenience • 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 !!!

3. Remember, medical terminology was derived primarily from Greek & Latin --these were the languages of scholarly people in ancient times

4. you might see different abbreviations that mean the same thing. Because of the use of two languages, Example: • EKG • ECG - “K”(kardia) = heart --Greek electro/kardio/gram -“C”(cardia) = heart -- Latin electro/cardio/gram

5. 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 !!)

6. Now for the activity---

7. Decode this! Use your handout or section 5-5 in the textbook to write out the full forms for these medical short forms. 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

8. 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