Thou shalt not learn and drive.

Helloooo. I am soon to be a nursing student. So, by perusing these boards is what you could call summer school for me. LOL. Anyhooo, I ran across the abbreviations and I had no clue what they meant. I am one of those people who learn best by observing and reading. I like it here! And I'm even considering the burns unit as a possible direction.

I know some may think I'm rushing it, but I begin college in just over a month.. and well, high school graduation kinda snuck up on me so.. i am predicting that "real life" will also.

Found these in the Burn forum; what do they mean:

BSA, TBSA, ETOH, debrided (not an abrv. but would like to know what this is)

Found this somwhere else, can't remember where:

I&O

Okay, tis all i can think of at the moment... ya'll can find me floating around the boards. I'm always online as I have nothing else better to do..... yet.

First, I'm glad to see someone with your enthusiasm show an interest in the nursing profession--welcome and good luck. BSA= body surface area; TBSA= total body surface area; ETOH= ethenol (alcohol); debrided= removal of dead tissue from a wound; I&O= intake and output (measures total intake of fluids through the intravenous route,oral route/ output measures fluid losses through urine, vomitus, blood etc.).

One more thing.... i was reading a particular post in the burns forum ( the same thread where all these terms popped up) and the nurse was speaking of how this poor woman's lips and labia were so swollen they were cracking. she noted how what was left of her hand was swollen.... how the fluids couldn't stay in her and were literally puddling out of her.

why?? why would she be swollen if she was burned? i don't understand. i have never seen nor experienced a burn this bad so i'm at a loss. and i don't like to dive into things, by that i mean college, knowing nothing at all. i thought that your skin dried once you were burned. did that mean her skin was open? why couldn't the fluids stay inside of her?? hopefully someone can shed some light.

and 3rd shift guy... heh, you kinda follow me around on the boards? LMAO!

penumbra?

More terms.. these from the oncology forum

fissures

fistulas

BM

mets

"fungating cancerous lesions" -- what are they and why do they "eat through the skin" ?

Don`t worry....you`ll see these all in your medical terminology class. When I took my medical terminology class I kept the medical terminology dictionary and I take it to work with me (I work as a ward clerk at a hospitial) on a daily basis to use as a refrence when I get stumped. :uhoh21:

Mets- short for a metastatic tumor which is a tumor that has spread to a distant location, away from the primary tumor.

Fissures- natural cleft between body parts or in the substance of an organ.

Fistulas- an abnormal passage leading from an abscess or hollow organ to the body surface or from one hollow organ to another and permitting passage of fluids or secretions.

BM- short for bowl movement....self explanatory I think :)

I think a fungating cancerous lesion is a cancerious lesion that has developed into a fungal form that grows rapidly which "eats throught the skin"