Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Abbreviations

I remember on my first day of third year of med school, I was completely stumped by the signout sheet I was handed:

68 y/o m c h/o ESRD on HD s/p cabg x 3....

I was like, "68 what what what what what on what what what?"

I basically had to have the sub-intern translate the entire thing for me word by word.

Eventually, I got to know the medicine abbreviations. Except then when I went to PM&R, there was a whole new set of abbreviations to learn. I'm guessing you're all familiar with the medicine abbreviations, but I'm curious how well my audience knows the standard rehab abbreviations. Here's a sample of ones I use very commonly, try your luck:

1. STE
2. HEP
3. FWW
4. BKA
5. ITB
6. SAH
7. ICP (I use this for two things)
8. BTP
9. AFO
10. LBP
11. ESI
12. WBAT
13. SCI
14. SLP
15. FIM
16. NCS
17. PVR
18. TTWB
19. TKA
20. SPC (I also use this for two things)
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27 comments:

  1. ER's MomAugust 3, 2011 at 3:33 AM

    WTF?

    Zero.

    ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 3, 2011 at 3:34 AM

    4) Below knee amputation
    5) Ileo-tibial band
    6) Sub-arachnoid hemorrhage
    7) Intracranial Pressure
    12) Weight bear as tolerated
    14) Speech Language Pathologist?

    ReplyDelete
  3. MedaholicAugust 3, 2011 at 4:29 AM

    1. STE
    2. HEP
    3. FWW
    4. BKA - below knee amputation
    5. ITB - Iliotibial band
    6. SAH - subarachnoid hemorrhage
    7. ICP - increased cranial pressure / ???
    8. BTP
    9. AFO - ankle foot orthotics
    10. LBP - low back pain
    11. ESI
    12. WBAT - weight bearing as tolerated
    13. SCI - spinal cord injury
    14. SLP - speech language pathology
    15. FIM
    16. NCS
    17. PVR - pulmonary vascular resistance?
    18. TTWB - ???? weight bearing
    19. TKA - total knee arthroplasty
    20. SPC - ??/ ??

    ReplyDelete
  4. HavenAugust 3, 2011 at 4:51 AM

    I've got nothin', hahaha.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sparkles!August 3, 2011 at 5:31 AM

    SPC is suprapubic cathether
    SAH: Subatachnoid hemorrhage
    ICP: Intracranial pressure
    BKA: Below Knee amputation

    No idea what the other abb stand for!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Larval DoctorAugust 3, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    TTWB = toe touch weight bear? I don't actually know what it means, but we (gen peds) co-manage ortho patients in the PICU and it's one of the instructions I've sent kids home with before.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 'August 3, 2011 at 6:15 AM

    STE - may stand for ST elevation on the EKG

    PVR - peripherical vascular resistance

    I'm not a native speaker, and the abbreviations are really different :b

    ReplyDelete
  8. OldSquidAugust 3, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    They really should make medical terminology a prerequisite course for nursing, medical, pharmacy, etc.students.

    ReplyDelete
  9. BritAugust 3, 2011 at 11:35 AM

    Old Squid - As a pre-med I've taken medical terminology. But somehow abbreviations weren't covered. So I've got nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. CherylAugust 3, 2011 at 12:08 PM

    I have at least 17 right, but I'm an Occupational Therapist, so I have an advantage.
    STE is steps to enter, sometimes in conjunction with #SH (1 story home).
    FWW to me is the same as RW but faster than a SW. These are all walkers. Not rollators.
    TTWB is also the same in my book as TDWB, where you can only touch a toe down for balance. The typical line is "don't crush the egg/potato chip under your toe"
    HEP is home exercise program.
    FIM is functional independence measure, the bane of rehab measurements.

    Surprised not to see FMC/GMC, TUG, MMSE/MOCA, KELS/AMPS on this list.

    Keep up the awesomeness, Dr Fizzy.

    ReplyDelete
  11. LicensedtoPillAugust 3, 2011 at 1:58 PM

    Definitely know the top part. To mean the rest of it is completely foreign.

    1. STE
    2. HEP
    3. FWW
    4. BKA- bilateral knee amputation
    5. ITB- IT band
    6. SAH
    7. ICP- intercranial pressure
    8. BTP
    9. AFO
    10. LBP
    11. ESI
    12. WBAT- weight bearing as tolerated
    13. SCI
    14. SLP
    15. FIM
    16. NCS
    17. PVR
    18. TTWB
    19. TKA- total knee arthoplasty
    20. SPC

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nurse JAugust 3, 2011 at 2:21 PM

    BKA below the knee amoutation, SAH, sub-arachnoid hemmorrage, TTWB, toe touch weight bearing...and I'm out.

    ReplyDelete
  13. HopeAugust 3, 2011 at 6:08 PM

    1. STE
    2. HEP
    3. FWW
    4. BKA - below the knee amputation
    5. ITB
    6. SAH - subarachnoid hemmorhage
    7. ICP intracranial pressure
    8. BTP
    9. AFO
    10. LBP - low back pain
    11. ESI
    12. WBAT
    13. SCI
    14. SLP
    15. FIM
    16. NCS
    17. PVR - peripheral vascular resistance (?at least in my field).
    18. TTWB
    19. TKA
    20. SPC

    Dont you hate when people leave a consult on a patient using obscure abbreviations from their particular field without explanation?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Solitary Diner (Also Known as The Frugalish Physician)August 3, 2011 at 6:28 PM

    1. STE
    2. HEP
    3. FWW - four-wheel walker
    4. BKA - below knee amputation
    5. ITB
    6. SAH - subarachnoid hemorrhage
    7. ICP (I use this for two things) - intracranial pressure
    8. BTP
    9. AFO
    10. LBP
    11. ESI
    12. WBAT
    13. SCI
    14. SLP - speech language pathology
    15. FIM
    16. NCS
    17. PVR - post-void residual
    18. TTWB
    19. TKA - total knee arthroplasty
    20. SPC (I also use this for two things)

    Clearly we're all medical geeks, as we're all trying our hardest to get the questions right!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Apinya WongAugust 3, 2011 at 11:52 PM

    1. STE= ST elevation
    3. FWW= front wheel walker
    7. ICP (I use this for two things)
    10. LBP= lower back pain
    13. SCI= spinal cord injury

    at least i know what 68 y/o m c h/o ESRD on HD s/p cabg x 3 means lol.

    i had a patient bring in prescription for FWW once, and we were all wtf is this? it doesn't help when patient says it's for diabetes o_O

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousAugust 4, 2011 at 5:24 PM

    PVR in vascular surgery is pulse volume recording, but I think shes looking for post void residual.

    I'm not convinced STE is ST elevation, since that's pretty much abbreviated STEMI whereever you go. But, I dont know what else it could be.

    I agree on below knee amputation, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracranial pressure, lower back pain, spinal cord injury, and total knee arthroplasty. I'll take your guy's word for the rest of these.

    Post more of these!

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnnieAugust 4, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    With all the other correctly identified rehab-related abbreviations, I'm surprised nobody else recognized SPC as Single Point Cane.

    ReplyDelete
  18. LiyanaAugust 5, 2011 at 5:16 AM

    1. STE ST elevation
    2. HEP - hepatitis?
    3. FWW
    4. BKA - below knee amputation
    5. ITB - iliotibial band
    6. SAH - subarachnoid hemorrhage
    7. ICP - intracranial pressure
    8. BTP
    9. AFO
    10. LBP - low back pain
    11. ESI
    12. WBAT - weight bearing as tolerated
    13. SCI
    14. SLP
    15. FIM
    16. NCS
    17. PVR
    18. TTWB
    19. TKA - total knee arthroplasty
    20. SPC suprapubic catheter

    lol yeah, sometimes we got mixed up from all the abbreviations!

    ReplyDelete
  19. somewherenorthAugust 5, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    rehab pgy3 to the rescue!

    1. STE - steps to enter
    2. HEP - home exercise program
    3. FWW - front-wheeled walker
    4. BKA - below knee amputation
    5. ITB - iliotibial band
    6. SAH - subarachnoid hemorrhage
    7. ICP - intracranial pressure & integrated care pathway
    8. BTP - breakthrough pain
    9. AFO - ankle-foot orthosis
    10. LBP - low back pain
    11. ESI - epidural steroid injection
    12. WBAT - wtbearing as tolerated
    13. SCI - spinal cord injury
    14. SLP - speech language pathology
    15. FIM - functional independent measurement
    16. NCS - nerve conduction study
    17. PVR - psych vocational rehab
    18. TTWB - toe-touch wtbearing
    19. TKA - total knee arthroplasty
    20. SPC - single point cane & suprapubic catheter


    how bout these?
    PMR (it's a trap!)
    SCM
    PNF
    MFR
    SBA
    MAS
    HO
    GBS
    PROM
    IPH
    CPM
    PTA
    SACH
    MUAP
    MWC
    RSD
    ASIS
    RICE

    ReplyDelete
  20. somewherenorthAugust 5, 2011 at 7:10 PM

    (aaah. post-void residual. that one hit me like a ton of bricks.) should've added ISC to my list, too.

    ReplyDelete
  21. FizzyAugust 6, 2011 at 5:29 AM

    Somewherenorth: Nice job! :) Although I meant ICP to be intermittent cath program and BTP to be bowel training program.

    As for your list:

    PMR (it's a trap!): polymyalgia rheumatica... I always see this and think someone left out the &
    SCM: sternocleidomastoid?
    PNF: prop neuromusc facilitation, whatever that is
    MFR: myofascial release
    SBA: wow, totally drawing a blank.... I have a feeling this is one that I see all the time too...
    MAS: modified ashworth scale
    HO: het ossification... almost put this on my list :)
    GBS: guillain barre
    PROM: too easy :)
    IPH: intraparenchymal hemorrhage?
    CPM: cont passive motion
    PTA: posttraumatic amnesia
    SACH: solid ankle cushion heel, my favorite SAE question
    MUAP: ah, don't test the EMG expert :)
    MWC: er... married with children?
    RSD: CRPS I
    ASIS: ant sup iliac spine
    RICE: this one I'm clueless about...

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnnieAugust 6, 2011 at 6:30 AM

    SBA is Stand By Assist
    RICE is Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation :^)

    ReplyDelete
  23. FizzyAugust 6, 2011 at 6:44 AM

    Annie: Thanks, that would have driven me crazy all day!

    ReplyDelete
  24. somewherenorthAugust 6, 2011 at 9:25 AM

    ah, i've never used ICP & BTP like that. i'm sure there are plenty of abbreviation differences btwn rehab programs. we always use MWC for manual wheelchair. and yes, i felt slightly guilty for testing proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation when i still don't know when to appropriately order that for my pts on my PT script.

    wow. maybe we *are* as bad as ophtho with abbreviations. never thought that was possible.

    ReplyDelete
  25. FizzyAugust 6, 2011 at 6:06 PM

    No, I never heard MWC used that way. The other two I use all the time, but somehow blanked when they were out of context. Although I think of RICE as more of a mnemonic :)

    I assume every field has its own set of obscure abbreviations?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Sarah P.August 7, 2011 at 5:04 PM

    Very interesting. I'm just teaching my medical students (2nd year) about using abbreviations in medical documentation. My main piece of advice is, "Don't assume that what you abbreviate something makes any sense to someone else. If in doubt, look it up to make sure it is printed in some commonly used list."

    That being said, I'm pretty sure I made some up when I was a resident and just can't shake them from use. Habits are hard to break!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Medical StudentAugust 9, 2011 at 8:54 PM

    This scares me just a little bit since I start my third year as a medical student in a couple of weeks and wouldn't have the foggiest idea of what many of those meant. eek!

    ReplyDelete

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