Acronyms: Where's the COW?

[Brian]

Ok so as nursing students we learn many different acronyms. Which one has gotten you into trouble? I know when working at a religious based hospital we were not allowed to use SOB we had to say shortness of breath. And of course you never want to ask "where's the COW?" even when you mean computer on wheels.

[Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN]

I still call it a COW.

Also, Cause of Death - TMB (Too Many Birthdays). Never actually use it, but when other nurses ask what did they die from, it always gets a laugh.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

had a patient get upset when I claimed she was bi-sexual. No, I had written BS (blood sugar) in her chart. Glad they cannot read what we put in the computer!

[imbatz, BSN, RN]

I just want to say that PAFO is about the funniest thing I've heard all day!!!

I second that!!!!

[Fuzzy]

We use several acronyms in vet medicine:

PITA has already been discussed

DIC Death is coming or dead in cage

SDBD Small dog vs big dog

HBC Hit by car

TBT Trashed by truck or trailer

SOD Stupid owner disease

SNOP Should not own a pet

Call Dr. Deere Large animal has died in the barn. Get the tractor to remove body from barn

ADW Ain't doing well

FOS Full of the other word for feces

Fuzzy

Oh and COW is a female bovine

[banterings]

I have seen a confidence rating system with "BG" and "WG."

"Best Guess" and "Word of God"

[nursel56]

Sometimes I wonder what a chart would look like if someone who needed Passive Range of Motion arrived in the hospital for Premature Rupture of the Membranes--- PROM and PROM! aaahhhhhh!

[HarryTheCat, MSN, RN]

Taking a friend to the ER after a fall from her horse on a jumping course, I noticed that they simply abbreviated it "FOH". That hospital was close to a large horse park that hosted lots of equine competitions, and "fell off horse" had earned its own three letter code.

[devhrt12]

Computer on wheels

[AJJKRN]

BRBPR = bright red blood per rectum and ROSOAB = really old son of a B.....

[stevepressley]

Many years of homecare. Had an emphysema patient for a while, and lost his folder. When I got to his house one day, he had the folder. He was mad. I've always been nice to you, why did you write in here almost every time that I'm a SOB?

[lpnwanda]

Many years ago when I was working in a Nursing Home I took a set of vitals on a patient who was in distress, I recorded my findings and that the patient was SOB(short of breath). Later that day his Son came up to me very irate, he wanted to know why I called his Dad a Son of a *****.

[imenid37]

Back in the day (1980's), the COW meant Commode on Wheels!