N/A or NA
not applicable
NB
newborn
NC
nasal canula
NFA
normal for age
NG
nasogastric
NH
nursing home
NICU
neonatal intensive care unit
NIDDM
non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (now called Type II)
NKA
no known allergies
NKDA
no known drug allergies
NPO
nothing per oral (by mouth)
NSAID
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NSVD
normal spontaneous vaginal delivery
NSWD
normal saline wet to dry
Nsg
nursing
N/V
nausea and vomiting
N/V/C
nausea, vomiting and chills
N/V/D
nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
NWB
non weight bearing
O
objective (SOAP note)
OA
osteoarthritis
OB
obstetrics
OBS
organic brain syndrome
OD or O/D
overdose
OOB
out of bed
OP
outpatient
OPS
outpatient surgery
OR
operating room
Oriented X3
oriented to person, place and time
OREF
open reduction external fixation
ORIF
open reduction internal fixation
Ortho
orthopedics
O2 sat
oxygen saturation
OT
occupational therapy
P
plan (SOAP note)
PACU
post anesthesia care unit
Para
previous live deliveries or paraplegic
Path
pathology
PCA
patient controlled anesthesia
PDA
patent ductus arteriosus
PE
physical examination or pulmonary embolus
Peds or pedi
pediatrics
PEEP
positive end expiratory pressure
PEG
peri-epigastric tube
PF
plantar flexion
PICU
pediatric intensive care unit
PIP
proximal interphalangeal
PMHx or PMH
past medical history
PM&R
physical medicine and rehabilitation
PNS
peripheral nerve stimulation
Post
posterior
PBD
post burn day
P/O or PO
post operative or per oral (by mouth)
Post-op
post operative
POD
post operative day
pp
post-partum, physical prompts
pre op
preoperative
prn
as often as necessary
PROM
passive range of motion
pt
patient
PT
physical therapist
pta
prior to admission
PTA
physical therapist assistant
PTCA
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
PTx
pelvic traction
PVD
peripheral vascular disease
PV
pulsivac
PVC
premature ventricular contraction
PWB
partial weight bearing
q
every
q2°
every 2 hours
QD
every day
QH
every hour
QID
4 times a day
QS
quadriceps set
quad
quadriceps or quadriplegic
R
respiration
RA
rheumatoid arthritis
RBC
red blood count
RD
respiratory distress
Rec'd
received
Rehab
rehabilitation
RLE
right lower extremity
ROM
range of motion
R/O or RO
rule out
RLL
right lower lobe
RLQ
right lower quadrant
RML
right middle lobe
Rot
rotation
RRR
regular rate and rhythm
RSD
reflex sympathetic dystrophy
RSV
respiratory syncytial virus
RTC
return to clinic or return check
RUE
right upper extremity
RUL
right upper lobe
RUQ
right upper quadrant
RV
right ventricle
Rx
prescription
S
subjective (SOAP note)
SAH
subarachnoid hemorrhage
SAQ
short arc quadriceps
SARS
severe acute respiratory syndrome
SB
sidebend
SCI
spinal cord injury
SCD
sequential compression device
SDH
subdural hematoma
sec
second
SGA
small for gestational age
SHx or SocHx
social history
SI
sacroiliac
SICU
surgical intensive care unit
SIDS
sudden infant death syndrome
SIO
sacroiliac orthosis
SLE
systemic lupus erythematosus
SLP
speech language pathologist
SLR
straight leg raise
SNF
skilled nursing facility
SOB
shortness of breath
SOC
start of care
s/p
status post
ssd
silver sulfadiazine
staph
staphylococcus
stat
at once
STD
sexually transmitted disease
STG
short term goal
STI
soft tissue injury
Strep
streptococcus
STSG
split thickness skin graft
subQ
subcutaneous
sup
superior
SVD
spontaneous vaginal delivery
SW
social worker
Sx
symptom
Sz
seizure
T1, T2, etc.
thoracic vertebrae
Tachy
tachycardia
TAL
tendon Achilles lengthening
TB
tuberculosis
TBI
traumatic brain injury
TBSA
total body surface area
TEDS
anti-thrombo embolotic device
TENS
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
T or temp
temperature
TFA
transfemoral amputation
THA
total hip arthroplasty or transhumeral amputation
TherEx
therapeutic exercise
THKAFO
thorax, hip, knee, ankle, foot, orthosis
THR
total hip replacement
TIA
transient ischemic attack
Tib
tibia
TID
3 times a day
TIW
3 times a week
TKA
total knee arthroplasty
TKR
total knee replacement
TLSO
thoracolumbosacral orthosis
Tmax
maximum temperature in the past 24 hours
TMJ
temporal mandibular joint
TO
telephone order
Tol
tolerated
TPN
total parenteral nutrition
TRA
transradial amputation
TTA
transtibial amputation
TTWB
toe touch weight bearing
Tx
treatment or traction
UE
upper extremity
Unk
unknown
ung
ointment
URI
upper respiratory infection
US
ultrasound
UTI
urinary tract infection
UV
ultraviolet
VC
verbal cues
VD
venereal disease or vaginal delivery
Vent
ventilator
v-fib
ventricular fibrillation
VO
verbal order
VS
vital signs
VSS
vital signs stable
VDRO
varus derotation osteotomy
V tach
ventricular tachycardia
WB
weight bearing
WBAT
weight bearing as tolerated
WBC
white blood count
w/c
wheelchair
W/C
workman's compensation
W/cm2
watts per centimeter squared
WF
white female
WFL
within functional limits
WM
white male
WNL
within normal limits
WP
whirlpool
X
times or of
yo or y/o
years old
yr
year
ytd
year to date
1°
first degree or primary
2°
second degree or secondary to (due to)
3°
third degree
°
degrees
@
at
%
percent
#
pounds
∆
change
≤
equal to or less than
≥
equal to or greater than
≠
not equal to (not the same)
≈
approximately, about
↑
increase
↓
decrease
→
to
←→
to and from
//
parallel
(R)
right