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MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
N105 - COMMON ABBREVIATIONS
These are the terms you will be tested on in Week 9 in the P/F Competency on Medical
Terminology
Occassion

Meaning

Abbreviation

Activity

Ambulatory
Bedrest
Ambulatory as desired
Bedrest with bathroom privileges
Out of bed
Head of bed
Foot of bed
Range of motion
Intermittent positive pressure breathing

Amb
BR
Ad lib
BR c BRP
OOB
HOB
FOB
ROM
IPPB

Diet

Nothing by mouth
Clear liquid
Full liquid
Low sodium
Intake and output

NPO
Cl liq.
F liq.
Low NA
I&O

Tubes

Nasogastric
Indwelling Urinary Catheterization
Intermittent Urinary Catheterization (IC)
Tracheostomy
Open, unobstructed
Flush with solution

NG
Foley
Straight cath
Trach
Patent
Irrigate

N105 - GENERAL MEDICAL ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation

Meaning

abd

before
abdomen

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a.c.
ADLs
ad lib
amb
AMA
ax
b.i.d.
BM
BP
BR
BRP
bx
c
C
C.C.
cap
CPR
c/o

before meals
activities of daily living
freely, as desired
ambulate, ambulatory
against medical advice
axillary
twice a day
bowel movement
blood pressure
bed rest
bathroom privileges
biopsy
with
Celsius (centigrade)
chief complaint
capsule
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
complains of

Abbreviation
DNR
DOA
F
fx
GI
gtt
GU
h
hs
HOB
H&P
h/o
HPI
imp
I&O
IM
IV
IVDA
KVO
LLQ

Meaning
do not resuscitate
dead on arrival
Fahrenheit
Fracture
gastrointestinal
drop
genitourinary
hour
hour of sleep
head of bed
history and physical
history of
history of present illness
impressions
intake and output
intramuscular
intravenous
IV drug abuse
keep vein open
left lower quadrant (of abdomen)

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LUQ
NPO
NG
NS or nss
neg,
O2
OT
OOB
p
P
PE
PMH
po
p.c.
prn
pre op
post op
PT
q
q 2, q 3, etc.
qh
q.i.d.
q.s.
R
RLQ
RUQ

left upper quadrant (of abdomen)

nothing by mouth
nasogastric
normal saline
negative
oxygen
Occupational therapy
out of bed
after
pulse
physical exam
past medical history
by mouth
after meals
when necessary
preoperative
postoperative
Physical therapy
every
every 2, 3, etc hours
every hour
four times a day
quantity sufficient
respirations
right lower quadrant (abdomen)
right upper quadrant (abdomen)

Abbreviation
r/o
ROM
ROS
Rx
s
SOB
spec
STAT
SQ, SC
SL
Sx

Meaning
rule out
range of motion
review of systems
treatment
without
shortness of breath
specimen
immediately
subcutaneous
sublingual
symptoms or surgery

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T
TPR
tab
t.i.d.
TKO
WNL
VS

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temperature
temperature, pulse, respiration
tablet
three times a day
to keep open (IV infusion)
within normal limits
vital signs

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NURSING VOCABULARY
Combining Forms
Forms may appear at the beginning, within, or at the end of a term. A dash preceding the form indicates a suffix that
appears at the end of term; a dash following a form indicates a prefix that appears at the beginning of a term.
Form

Meaning

Symbols

a-, anabadadeno
-algia
ambiangioantearterioarthrobronchocardi-, cardio-cele
-centesis
cepha, cephalocerebrocervico
cholecholecystochondrocircumcraniocysto-cyte
dermdys-etasis
-ectomy

without
away from
to, toward
gland
pain
on two sides
vessel
before, forward
artery
joint
bronchus
heart
hernia, tumor, protrusion
puncture
head
cerebrum or brain
neck
bile
gall bladder
cartilage
around
head
bladder, sac
cell
skin
abnormal, painful
expansion, dilation
excision

>

greater than

<

less than

increase

decrease

secondary to

equal to

female

male

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degree, hour

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-emia
encephalo
endoenteroexexogastrohem,hema, hemo, hemato
hemihepatohyper-

blood
brain
within, inner layer
intestines
out, out of, away from
outside, outer layer
stomach
blood
half
liver
excessive

Form
hypohystero-iasisileoiliointra-itis
laryngolympho-lysis
malmastomedio-megaly
meningomicromonomyelomyonasoneonephroneuro-

Meaning
low, inadequate
uterus
condition, formation of
ileum (small intestine)
ilium (iliac, pelvic bone)
within
inflammation of
larynx
lymph
dissolution, breading down
bad, poor
breast
middle
enlargement
meninges
small, microscopic
single
bone marrow spinal cord
muscle
nose
new
kidney
nerve

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nonoculo-oma
oophoroophthamloorchio, orchidooroorrhaphy
ososteo-ostomy
oto-otomy
ovario-pathy
-penia
peri-pexy
pharyngophlebo-plasty
-plegia
pneumopostpreprocto-

not
eye
tumor
ovary
eye
testes
mouth
suture/repair of
bone, mouth
bone
artificially created opening into organ
ear
incision into
ovary
disease
deficiency, decrease
around
suspension, fixation
pharynx
vein
surgical correction, repair
paralysis
lungs
after
in front of, before
rectum

Form

Meaning

pseudo-ptosis
pyoretrorhino
salpingo-

false
falling, drooping
pus
behind
nose
fallopian tube

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sclero-spasm
splenosternosuper-, supratenothoracothyrotracheotransurethrourouterovasoveno-

hard
involuntary contraction
spleen
sternum
above, more than
tendon
thorax
thyroid
trachea
across, throughout
urethra
urine, urinary
uterus
blood vessel
vein

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