Physician Abbreviation - Can't Read This One

[KristinWW]

Quick, help! I'm mocking a physician's order sheet and the physician wrote for a Foley "continue to BSD (I assume this is bedside drainage), indication sacral breakdown or I&O MCTU or MLTC or MUTC" - I can't read these 4 letters - what is this abbreviation? Thank you!

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

When I can't read an order and/or don't understand it and/or the abbreviation is not on the facility list of approved ones for that facility :idea:I call the doctor and ask them. Figuring out what they wrote is sometimes clearer in the progress note but usually not. I am so glad for computer orders, I can always read those!

[antidote]

Oh yes, definetly ask the doctor himself before you act on that -- NEVER assume if you can't read as it could be dangerous to you, the patient and/or the patients family.

Keep in mind that some doctors like to "make up" abbreviations - so if you don't know, just ask.

:lol2:

[siggie13]

Quick, help! I'm mocking a physician's order sheet and the physician wrote for a Foley "continue to BSD (I assume this is bedside drainage), indication sacral breakdown or I&O MCTU or MLTC or MUTC" - I can't read these 4 letters - what is this abbreviation? Thank you!

Before computers, I have actually stopped doctors in the hall to have them "translate" their orders and had them be unable to read what they wrote! How do we stand a chance. ALWAYS ASK THE DOCTOR if you can't CLEARLY understand what he /she wants and wrote. Your license is on the line.

[KristinWW]

I'm not acting on anything and this is not an order - I'm only making up a form and the doctor is away for the next 2 weeks. I thought it was something very common and I wanted to get the form done tonight, that's all. I would never come online to ask about a doctor's order for a pt. If an experienced nurse knows this abbreviation I would appreciate it.

[melsch]

Definitely ask the dr for clarification before you finalize the form but could it mean ml (milliliter) T (total) C (count or calculation) ? I was just thinking about the in and out (I&O) totals and what he could have been trying to say. This is a wild guess but maybe it would put you on the right track.

[Riseupandnurse]

For once, Joint Commission is right. These screwy abbreviations are dangerous and need to stop. Several years ago we had a patient who the dr. made a DNAR in the orders. On discussing this with him the next day we learned he thought it was clear he wrote DN Rx (drug nebs). Glad no harm was done.

[sharann, BSN, RN]

For once, Joint Commission is right. These screwy abbreviations are dangerous and need to stop. Several years ago we had a patient who the dr. made a DNAR in the orders. On discussing this with him the next day we learned he thought it was clear he wrote DN Rx (drug nebs). Glad no harm was done.

Lucky no one read that as DNR!

[mauxtav8r]

MCTU=micturition? Just a wild guess.

I have said many times that we need more practice reading physician's orders.

[rn/writer, RN]

MCTU=micturition? Just a wild guess.

I have said many times that we need more practice reading physician's orders.

No, they need more practice in learning to write legibly.

It shouldn't be our responsibility to make sense out of gibberish. The docs can make the effort to write orders so that they are readable in form and understandable in meaning.

[suzanne4, RN]

It is not an issue whether or not a nurse knows what this is, the issue is that it is not an approved abbreviation and the physician should not even be using it.

As it is, there are issues with some of the common accepted abbreviations mean different things in different nursing units and specialties. JCAHO has issued a list of acceptable abbreviations to be used so that there are no issues with anything.

As you can tell from previous posts in this threads, serious issues can come up as different things can mean something else together and patients lives depend on it.

[TiredMD]

JCAHO has issued a list of acceptable abbreviations to be used so that there are no issues with anything.

The JCAHO requirement is that each institution develop a list a specifically prohibited abbreviations, and JCAHO itself has issued a "bare minimum" list of abbreviations that are not permitted ever. Hospitals are encouraged to develop a list of approved abbreviations, but are not mandated to do so (my hospital does not have one).

Everyone should be familiar with their facility's list of disallowed abbreviations, and if you have one, approved abbreviation list. Anything that does not conform with your policy should not be accepted, even if you understand it. Physicians may complain about this, but we complain a lot more when abbreviations are misunderstood and orders are not carried out correctly.