Hi...Need help with Australian medical abbreviations

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi ...I was wonderinging if any one could help...I am studying medical terminology this year..I am entering a nursing course next year and I am trying to get a ready for it...Can anyone help me with the following abbreviations...........

CCU.............Is it critical care unit or cardiac care unit ??????

IP ..........I'm thinking In Patient but cannot confirm????????

OP.............Out patient????????? Just a guess

D/C.........Day care or am I way of base???????

ETOH.....

L..............Left maybe??????

R..............Right??????

_pt............point

VS............no idea

T.............?????????

P..........??????????

R............?????????

Ht................Height?????

Wt....weight?????

HS..........

BS..............

TM..........

q.I.d.........

p.r.n..............

and is t.I.d or tds 3 times daily??????????????

help confused...

I have found alot of the answers but these ones are a bit harder to find and when I do there seems to be 10 different answers....

any help would be most appreciated.........does anyone else have this problem....How are you suppose to remeber them all....I think I memerized 30 then my brain went numb:uhoh3: :idea:

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D/C usually means discharge

ETOH means alcohol

VS is vital signs

T-Temp

P-Pulse

R-Respirations

BS-Bowel sounds ?

QID-Four times daily

PRN-as needed

HS-hours of sleep (Meaning night)

TID is three times daily

As for how to remember them, it just takes time et experience.

Good luck!!

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Thanks heaps...Im still learning how to use this forum>>>l.o.l Your a saint...I have an assignment this week and a test next week and i think im going slightly nuts trying to remember everything

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Specializes in Med onc, med, surg, now in ICU!.

IP and OP - maybe inout and output, but I haven't actually come across those.

Pt is usually patient.

HS - heart sounds

TM - tympanic membrane?

CCU could be either coronary or critical care, it just depends on your hospital.

As fultzymom says, it really is just something you get used to, although I still have to get other nurses and doctors to translate abbreviations the docs have just made up!

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Specializes in midwifery, gen surgical, community.

BS could be blood sugar so be wary!

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prn = per required need, its the discretion of the nurses to give depending on the patients condtion

QID, QDS, both mean 4 times a day in the UK it more likely QDS not sure if Oz follows this tradtion

BD = twice a day

TDS = three times a day

nocte = night

mane = morning

to be honest most good nursing dictionaries wil give this informantion and it will be country specfic

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Specializes in Peds, ER/Trauma.

CCU.............Critical Care Unit, can also be Cardiac Care Unit

IP ..........Inpatient

OP.............Outpatient

D/C.........Discharge or Discontinue

ETOH.....Alcohol (Ethyl Alcohol)

L..............Left

R..............Right

_pt............pt. = Patient, PT = Physical Therapy

VS............Vital Signs

T.............Temperature

P..........Pulse

R............Respirations

Ht................Height

Wt....Weight

HS..........Bedtime

BS..............Blood Sugar or Bowel Sounds

TM..........Tympanic Membrane

q.i.d.........4 times daily

p.r.n..............As Needed

tid...........3 times daily

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BS could also mean breath sounds, so make sure you know what body system is being charted about at that moment.

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Thanks heaps...I am in the process of getting a dictionary...but i have to travel to the city to get it...my town doesnt have any outlets that sell them....with so many different meanings to the same abbreviations doesnt it get confusing??????????

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You might want to consider looking at the websites that sell books, like amazon.com, half.com, etc. Even with shipping costs, the convenience of having them sent to your home, usually very quickly, can be quite an advantage over a trip if you don't live in a big city. I imagine Australia has its version of these websites. Just a thought.

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thanks i will check out ebay.....

you guys have been fantastic:saint:

I have most of them now...i think:uhoh3: ...

I just have to make sure that they are the right ones...there is two though that i forgot to put on the list...

JVP

NAD

but they are more for my own benieft not the assignment........

once again....THANKS HEAPS:icon_hug:

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Im bidding for one on ebay....I hope i win:monkeydance:

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