A crib list for medical abbreviations...? New job!

[Thismeanswhatnow]

I’ve worked in the NHS for years but not in an acute setting. My job involves reading a lot of medical notes/trauma booklets/doctors writing and I’m really struggling to work out a lot of the abbreviations

I don’t want to keep asking as I’m sure they’re all sick if it by now. Google is actually surprisingly useless.

So if you are medical can you give me your top 5/10 abbreviations I should absolutely know?! please?!

Also #nof....what does this mean?

And oxygen saturation sometimes just has the number 98% and sometimes has 98%RA. What is the RA for?

Thank you so much if you can help!

nof - fracture neck of femur? Cardiologist here though. Not sure of the 98%RA .. will have to ask DH tomorrow morning

If you write down the abbreviation here.... will try to help decipher

On Room air is RA

Hmm this is a good question. #nof is broken neck of femur yes- any # means fracture. It's hard to answer anymore really without knowing which abbreviations you may encounter. Let us know if we can help with anymore :)

#nof is definitely a fractured neck of femur.
I was a hospital social worker for many years.

Sobar is shortness of breath at rest.

Ca means carcinoma/cancer

Met - in my context, metastases/secondary cancers

Tah is total abdominal hysterectomy (May say with bilat(eral) sph (salpingooophrectomy))

Tvs transvaginal scan
Epu early pregnancy unit
Epoc evacuation of (retained) products of conception.

The place you’re working (hospital trust or whatever) should have a list of approved abbreviations.
Maybe ask your line manager?

What department are you working in, though?

If you work in cardiology, ASD = atrial septal defect, but in community paediatrics ASD = autistic spectrum disorder.

In paediatric cardiology TOF = tetralogy of Fallot's, but in paediatric surgery TOF = tracheo oesophageal fistula.

CHD from a cardiologist would mean congenital heart disease, and from an orthopod would mean congenital dysplasia of the hip.

And in neonatology...well, basically 2 lines of abbreviations would take several paragraphs to describe, and it's too late at night.

I have never known hospital Dr's take any notice of approved lists of abbreviations in over 30 years as a nurse! You need to give us some idea of the type of specialty you are working in.

Mane= morning
Nocte= at night
TDS 3x daily
QDS 4X daily
BD 2x daily
OD 1x daily
PRN = as required.
Stat= now
TTO = medication to take out.

I love seeing Latin still used. Agree with PP, doctors won't take note of the official list! That's if you can read it in the first place.

Ah for me it BID 'bis in die'. 2x daily ID 'Ter in Die' 3x daily QID 'quater in die' 4x. I've a good list at work which l'll find and post here if you want?

And definitely agree that it varies on whoevers writing the letter/report- that's if you can read what theyve written!

Also #nof....what does this mean?

Fractured neck of femur.

Are you working in geriatrics? You will see that a lot if so. Also AF - Atrial Fibrillation.

Moved to ward 13 - patient has died, ward13 is the morgue. This is usually said rather than written, and it's to avoid upsetting patients.

1/7 = one day, 2/7 2 days, so Hx 2/7 is a history of something for 2 days, similarly 1/12 is one month.

Hx is 'history of'

NAD - nothing abnormal detected

But as others have said which speciality? It makes a huge difference.

I'm not sure this is one for mumsnet, really. Surely the consequences of any potential misunderstanding could be serious. I think you need to keep asking colleagues.

PMH - previous medical history
Rx - prescription
Tx - treatment
ETOH - alcohol
ABG - arterial blood gas
FBC, U+E, CRP, Coag, LFT and many others - different types of blood tests
nacl - saline
K -potassium
MUA - manipulation under anaesthetic
EUA - examination under anaesthetic
THR - total hip replacement
MSU - mid stream urine
CSU - catheter specimen urine

There's hundreds. Absolutely hundreds. A lot of them will make sense in context and a lot of them overlap - RA in the context you mentioned will mean Room Air but in another can mean Rheumatoid Arthritis.

It will come to you in time but just don't be afraid to get clarity if you need it. Especially when some writing in the notes can be nigh on illegible

My trust has one on their staff homepage (the Pulse) so check there.

The last trust I worked at also had one. They also had a course that all non clinical staff could do specifically for medical abbreviations.

We also have the NHS library service and I'm sure they would have something useful for you.

CSL = compound sodium lactate (Hartmann's) another type of iv fluid

PRC = packed red cells
FFP = fresh frozen plasma
Cryo = cryoprecipitate
Plat = platelets

RSI = rapid sequence induction
MILS = manual in-line stabilisation
Both of these would be used in relation to induction of anaesthesia

ETT = endotracheal tube
LMA = laryngeal mask airway

NG = nasogastric tube

MP1/2/3/4 = mallampati grade
JP +ve = jaw protrusion positive
FROMneck = full range of movement neck
All related to Anaesthetic airway assessment

IV vs gas = IV induction or gas induction discussed. I normally circle the one we decide on.
TIVA = total intravenous Anaesthesia

Happy to help with any more.

And I agree with the others.

Context is all.

Where I work we sometimes see TOF2 (as in TOF squared but I can't do a superscript 2 on here).

It means Tracheoesopageal fistula & tetralogy of fallot.

I work with Paeds cardiologists and general paediatricians so the interpretation of ASD is entirely context sensitive. Again, Some kids have both!!

GP secretary here Sx = symptom

As others have said it will depend a lot on context and many abbreviations will be particular to your area and could mean something else in other areas so you really need to get someone from the clinical area to go through it with you.

98%RA, is 0xygen saturation is 98% on room air
98% 2l, is oxygen sat is 98% on 2 litres of oxygen

Dx - discharge
Px - patient
Ax- assessment
PMH - previous medical history
c with a line over it - with
c with no line - without
c with a line under it - which
AO1 - assistance of one (or two etc depending on the number)
TWOC- trial without catheter
ZF - Zimmer frame

- fracture

MFFD - medically fit for discharge
TIA - trans ischemic attack

Oh thank you all so much!

Of course I should have said, I’m working in A&E, major trauma

Circle with a line through it diagonally?! I see that all the time usually before they know what is wrong with the patient

have you googled op? I have and came up with a few resources that may help (there seemed to be an app too).

www.southernhealth.nhs.uk/_resources/assets/attachment/full/0/34462.pdf