Acronyms Frequently Used in Healthcare
Sometimes when in a situation you have higher than normal anxiety and hear something that you don’t ask for clarification. Here is a little cheat sheet for some of the acronyms you may hear and really want to know the meaning.
ADE
- Adverse drug event- A side effect of a medication
ADL’s
- Activities of daily living - Like bathing, toileting, feeding, hygiene, walking
ALF
ALS
- Advanced Life Support - machines that keep you alive
APS
- Adult Protective Services
BIPAP
- Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure - A breathing machine
CABG
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft - Open Heart Surgery
CAD
- Coronary Artery Disease - diseases affecting the heart
CT
- Computerized tomography - x-ray images from different angles of bone, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body
CCU
- Coronary Care Unit - Intensive care for issues with heart
CHHA
- Certified Home Health Aide - aide who has taken classes home health aides work with one client at a time mostly in home care
CNA
- Certified Nursing Assistant - Can work in any healthcare facility - Need to take specific courses and pass a state exam
Co payment
- The financial responsibility after insurance pays
CPAP
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure - Breathing machine
CPR
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - lifesaving procedure when heart stops
CVA
- Cerebral Vascular Accident - stroke
CVC
- Central Venous Catheter- an IV line which is passed through a vein into part of the heart
Dementia
- Symptoms of the brain which are progressive
DME
- Durable Medical Equipment - equipment needed to make normal functions easier, for example: walkers, wheelchairs, commodes
DNR
- Do-Not-Resuscitate Order - If loved one dies they do not want any life saving attempts to be made
DOH
DVT
- Deep vein thrombosis - blood clot
ED/ER
- Emergency Department or emergency room
EHR
EMS
- Emergency Medical Services - 911
EMT
- Emergency Medical Technician - one who comes when you call 911
ESRD
- End Stage Renal Disease - when kidneys stop on permanent basis and leading to need of long-term dialysis or kidney transplant to maintain life
H1N1
HDL
- High density Lipoproteins - good cholesterol - absorbs it and carrys to liver
HHA
- Home Health Agency - agencies that provide care at home
ICU
- Intensive Care Unit - specialized or critical care
IV
- Intravenous - and IV needle permanently inserted to give fluids or medications
LDL
- Low Density Lipoprotein - bad cholesterol raises risk of heart disease
LTC
- Long Term Care - Nursing Home
MD
Medigap
- Medicare supplemental insurance
MRI
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging - uses magnetic fields and radio waves to see detailed images of organs and tissues in your body
MRSA
- Methicillan-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus - bacteria that is resistant to alot of antibiotics and very hard to treat
MUGA
- A small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into a vein and then a camera takes pictures of the pumping heart
NP
NPO
- Nothing by mouth - doctors order before surgery or treatment in hospitals
OT
- Occupational therapist - therapist who works with upper body and your fine motor skills
PA
PCA
- Personal Care Assistants - nursing assistants
PCP
- Primary Care Physician - your doctor
PE
- Pulmonary Embolism - blood clot in your lung
PET
- Positron Emission Tomography - a scan used to identify conditions like cancer, heart disease and brain disorders
PICC
- Peripherally inserted central catheter - a long thin IV line inserted into the vein in arm or neck to a large vein in heart used to give fluids, blood, iv nutrition or chemotherapy
POA
- Power of Attorney - You give permission for another person to make decisions for you if you are unable to do so
PPE
- Personal Protective Equipment - gowns, gloves and masks to protect the healthcare workers and others
PSA
- Prostate Specific Antigen - a lab value that shows degree of cancer of prostate
PT
- Physical Therapy - therapy to improve use of lower limbs of body legs and mobility
RN
- Registered Nurse - nurse that has completed more nursing education and passed the NCLEX exam for registered nurses
RT
- Respiratory therapist - therapist that works with breathing issues - and machines to help with your breathing
SNF
- Skilled Nursing Facility - Nursing Home
TBI
- Traumatic Brain Injury - Injury of brain resulting from a blow or jolt to the head and effects how the brain works
TKA
- Total Knee Athroplasty - Total knee replacement
THA
- Total Hip Athroplasty - Total hip replacement
TPN
- Total Parenteral Nutrition - Nutrition that is given through an IV line when a patient can’t eat by mouth
VNA
- Visiting Nurse Association - a home care agency that will visit your home
VRE
- Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus - a bacteria usually found in intestines and the female genital tract that is resistant to vancomycin