ac
before meals
ADLs
Activities of Daily Living.
ad lib
as desired
ADR
Adverse Drug Reaction.
ALF
Assisted Living
... [Show More] Facility.
A.M.
morning
amb
ambulate
APS
Adult Protective Services.
bid
twice a day
BM
Bowel Movement.
BON
Board of Nursing.
BOP
Board of Pharmacy.
BP
Blood Pressure.
BR
Bathroom.
BRP
Bathroom Privileges.
BSC
Bedside Commode.
buc
buccal
BUN
Blood Urea Nitrogen. a measure of the kidney's ability to excrete urea, the chief waste product of protein breakdown.
C
with
cap
capsule
cc
cubic centimeter
CE
Continuing Education. Educational requirement to maintain a license or certificate.
CHF
Congestive Heart Failure; a disease of the heart most commonly referred to as "heart failure".
cm
centimeter
c/o
complaints of
COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; a condition of the respiratory system in which breathing is difficult.
CVA
Cerebrovascular Accident or stroke.
dc
discontinue or discharge
DEA
Drug Enforcement Administration, a federal agency which regulates and enforces laws on drugs in Schedules I-V.
DON
Director of Nurses.
DSS
Department of Social Services.
ETOH
Alcohol.
FDA
Food & Drug Administration, the federal agency which enforces the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
GI
Gastrointestinal.
gm
gram
gtt
drop
H2O
water
HOH
Hard of Hearing.
HTN
Hypertension.
I&O
Intake and Output.
Inh
Inhalation
ISP
Individualized Service Plan, a document required by the DSS which outlines the plan of care for clients in assisted living facilities.
IV
Intravenous.
kg
killogram
lb
pound
liq
liquid
m
meter
meds
medication
meq
milliequivalent
mg
milligram
MI
Myocaedial Infraction.
ml
milliliter
NDA
No Drug Allergies.
NPO
Nothing by Mouth.
NSAID
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug. A drug that decreases fever, swelling, pain, and redness.
N/V
Nausea/Vomiting.
O2
Oxygen
od
right eye
OOB
Out of Bed.
opthal
eye
os
left eye
OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A federal agency under the Department of Labor that publishes and enforces safety and health regulations.
ou
both eyes
oz
ounce
P
after
pc
after meals
P.M.
afternoon
po
by mouth
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment. Such as gloves, gowns, masks, and goggles required by OSHA when exposure to possible blood-borne pathogens.
prn
when necessary/as needed
pt
patient
q2h
every 2 hours
q3h
every 3 hours
q4h
every 4 hours
Q
every
qam
every morning
qh
every hour
qhs
every night at bedtime
qid
four times a day
qod
every other day
ROM
Range of Motion.
S
without
sig
label
SOB
Short of Breath.
STAT
Immediately or at Once.
subcut
subcutanous
supp
suppository
susp
suspension
tab
tablet
tid
three times a day
tlbs
tablespoon
TLC
Tender Loving Care.
top
topical
TPR
Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration.
tsp
teaspoon
U
Unit.
UAI
Uniform Assessment Instrument, a document required by the DSS.
VS
Vital Signs.
w/c
wheelchair
wt
weight
Absorption
How a substance is taken into the circulation (blood stream). How much of a drug is absorbed and how long it takes to absorb determines the drug's availability for use in the body.
Abuse
To willfully inflict physical pain, injury, mental anguish, or unreasonable confinement.
Active Refusal
When a client directly refuses to take a medication.
Addiction
Compulsive physiological need for and use of habit-forming substances.
Administer
Direct application of a drug to the patient's body whether by injection, inhalation, ingestion, or any other means.
Administration Route
How the drug is administered, i.e., orally, topically, subcutaneous injection, inhalation, intranasal, rectally, vaginally. etc.
Akathisia
Constant pacing; a total inability to sit still. If forced to sit still the person may experience extreme anxiety and agitation.
Alzheimer's Disease
A progressive neuro-degenerative disease of the brain which impairs the ability to think, reason, or remember and interferes with the ability to function.
Amnesia
Lack or loss of memory; inability to remember past experiences.
Anaphylaxis
A severe allergic reaction to a substance to which a person has become sensitized. Requires emergency treatment.
Anatomy
Study of the structure and the parts of the body.
Anxiety
State of feeling apprehensive, uneasy, uncertain, or in fear of an unknown or recognized threat.
Aphasia
Loss of the power of expression by speech, writing, or signs, or of comprehending spoken or written language, due to injury or disease of the brain center.
Aseptic
Free of disease-causing organisms.
Ataxia
Irregular muscular action. Particularly affects walking; gait is typically very unsteady.
Bio-Hazardous Waste
Waste which may cause disease or injury.
Blood-Borne Pathogen
A disease-causing organism which is carried in the blood.
Bradykinesia
Very slow movement. May be drug side effect. Symptom of disease such as Parkinson's.
Catatonic
A condition of being apparently awake but unresponsive. Catatonia is a severe psychiatric and medical condition associated with a number of psychiatric and medical conditions. such as drug abuse, depression, and schizophrenia.
Chemical Name
Describes the chemical structure of a compound.
Cognitive Impairment
Altered ability to think, to reason and/or remember which interferes with the ability to function normally.
Communication Barrier
An internal or external obstacle which interferes with sending or receiving a message.
Communicable Disease
One which can be transmitted from one human to another.
Concentration
Amount of drug in a certain volume of liquid.
Confusion
Usually refer to loss of orientation (ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time, location, and personal identity) and often memory (ability to correctly recall previous events or learn new material). Confusion is a symptom.
Contamination
The act of process of rendering something harmful or unsuitable. Passage of an infectious organism, such as a virus, from an infected person to an object such as a needle, which then, when used, may pass infection to another person. [Show Less]