Nursing Terminology 101

anemia

decreased number of red blood cells

aphasia

impairment of language usually caused by left hemisphere damage to Broca’s area (impairing speech) or Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding)

auria

no passage of urine, usually less than 100 mL/day

blanchable

loss of skin redness upon pressure

BM

bowel movement

bradycardia

slow heart rate, usually lower than 50/min

bradypnea

slow respiratory rate, usually lower than 10/min

cyanosis

blue or purple coloration of the skin or mucous membranes due to the tissues near the skin surface having low oxygen saturation

dysphagia

difficulty swallowing

dysplasia

abnormal development or growth of cells, tissues, or organs

dyspnea

difficult/labored respiration

dysuria

painful/difficult urination

ecchymosis

bruising

edema

swelling caused by excess fluid in the body

emesis

vomiting

epistaxis

nosebleed

erythema

redness of the skin or mucous membranes

hematuria

blood tinged urine

hemoptysis

blood tinged vomit

hypertension (HTN)

high blood pressure

hypotension

low blood pressure

orthostatic hypotension

low blood pressure with change of positioning

incontinence

involuntary urination/defecation

inflammation

condition defined by redness, swelling, pain, and warmth

jaundice

yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by an accumulation of bile pigment (bilirubin) in the blood

neutropenia

abnormally low white blood cell count

nocturia

excessive urination at night

N/V/D

nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

oliguria

low urine output, usually less than 400 mL/day

orthopnea

shortness of breath laying down

paresthesia

abnormal sensation of numbness and tingling without objective cause

pruritis

itchiness

purulent

producing or containing pus

thrombocytopenia

abnormally low platelet count

PO

by mouth

SL

sublingual

PR

by rectum

SC

subcutaneous

IM

intramuscular

IV

intravenous

intradermal

right under skin

topical

on top of skin

QD

every day

QH

every hour

BID

twice a day

TID

three times a day

QID

four times a day

HS

bedtime

AC/HS

before meals and bedtime

PRN

as needed

FBS

fasting blood sugar

ADL

activities of daily living

ambulate

to walk or move

HOB

head of bed

OOB

out of bed

ROM

range of motion

A/O

alert and oriented

AEB

as evidenced by

C/o

complains of

CCU

critical care unit

CV

cardiovascular

D/C

discontinue

DNI

do not intubate

DNR

do not resuscitate

Dx

diagnosis

ED

emergency department

GI

gastrointestinal

GU

genitourinary

gtt

drops

HPI

history of present illness

ICU

intensive care unit

LLQ

left lower quadrant

LUQ

left upper quadrant

NKA

no known allergies

NPO

nothing by mouth

PCU

progressive care unit

PMH

past medical history

RLQ

right lower quadrant

RUQ

right upper quadrant

d/t

due to

r/t

related to

Abx

antibiotics

Afib

atrial fibrillation

ARDS

acute respiratory distress syndrome

ARF

acute respiratory failure

CAD

coronary artery disease

CAUTI

catheter-associated urinary tract infection

CLABSI

central line-associated blood stream infection

COPD

chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder

CP

cerebral palsy

DI

diabetes insipidus

DKA

diabetic ketoacidosis

DM

diabetes mellitus

fx

fracture

GERD

gastroesophageal reflux disease

HDL

hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)

HTN

hypertension

IVPB

intravenous piggyback

NSAID

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory

PNA

pneumonia