1) s/p: Means status post. Meaning, something that happened. I use this so much. So much. I could use it like five times in a sentence:
Mr. Smith is a 63 y/o man with h/o CAD s/p cabg s/p fall with large SDH s/p R craniectomy s/p wound infection s/p I+D.
I really do try to limit myself to once per sentence though.
2) c with a line over it: Means "with". I use this probably more than s/p.
Husband: "What does c with a line over it mean?"
Me: "With."
Husband: "I don't get you doctors! Why don't you just write 'w' with a slash?"
Me: "Because this is Latin!" (cum is latin for "with")
3) @: Means "at", obviously. This saves absolutely no time over just writing "at" yet it looks immensely cooler.
4) 2/2: Means "secondary to".
Neurologist: "You know what abbreviation really annoys me? 2/2. Because why can't you just write out 'due to'? Is it really that much harder?"
Me: "Yes."
5) D/C: This is the greatest abbreviation ever because, especially in my field, it can be used to mean practically anything. If I wanted, I could write:
If there is no D/C from the wound, please D/C the dressing prior to D/C home.
And I did. And the nurse paged me and was like, "WTF?"
Love all, but especially #5!
ReplyDeleteDr. G, s/p breakfast.
I'd be solving #4 to "1".
ReplyDeleteI haven't charted patients in 36 years and I still use #2 and #5!
ReplyDeleteYou're missing out on the best and most flexible abbreviation of all: Tx
ReplyDeleteThis can mean transfer, transfuse, treat, transplant. It's great
58 yo man, S/P renal tx, S/P tx 2u PRBC, Tx to ICU for tx of sepsis.
Surely a physiatrist has ample use for b/l? You must use it at least once per line on a neuro exam.
ReplyDeletei just learned 2/2 and use it all the time now.
ReplyDeleteI love s with a slash (sine, without) as well...
ReplyDeleteHa! Didn't get the correlation with c/, appreciate the explanation. Love them all although the D/C abbreviation can make a shoddy transcriptionist's life hell.
ReplyDeleteI love c to mean with! I seriously use it every chance I get. I cannot remember the last time I wrote the word with out. Whoever thought of reducing 4 characters to one is a genius.
ReplyDeleteShould probably be 2°/2, but hey, it's all about simplicity.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the 2/2 thing--I'm used to using 2 with the little o symbol. Gotta LOVE Tx--fits so many situations!
ReplyDeletethose are similar to the first few sentences that I give to my pharmacy students on day 1 of classes just to see their reactions.....
ReplyDeleteor what about if you dont want to write, just put the first letter of whatever the word is followed by a little x......just do some that dont make any sense (not tx, rx, fx, or etcx) and see what happens
but one thing i caught myself doing is using the c with the line over it for "with" but "without" is w/o.....cant get myself to do c with a line then follow it with a "/o"....it just ends up looking like a stick figure in a horribly disfiguring accident
ED_PharmD: without is s with a line over it, but I usually use w/o.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a note for my daughter for school and wrote c with a line over it for with a few times in the note. My daughter said once the lady at the desk read it she laughed looked up at her and said, " Your Mom's a Nurse right?" LOL
ReplyDeleteSometimes I forget that lay people use w/
So that's why my seniors have looked at me funny when I write "w/"...
ReplyDeleteI think we need a class in medical abbreviations.
I use "@", but one consultant told me I was being unprofessional. I was tempted to tell him that his handwriting is unprofessional.
c with the line over it is awesome when writing out my weekly meal plans at home. And on grocery lists.. pretty much anywhere. I also have a killer chili recipe that could potentially lead to the abbreviation BRBPR.
ReplyDeleteabbreviations are basically the only reason I went to medical school. i can now communicate in a very obscure and awesome way.
ReplyDeletemy favorite abbreviation was actually from the ob/gyn service recently, who called a psych consult.
the request said:
"pls evaluate this pt who is s/p NSVD with ouija board x 1"
I swear on my toes that this is what it said!!!
I have a habit of using "c" for with everywhere. My family gets very confused by my texts. I have to refrain myself from actually saying "c" instead of "with". I also habitually use s as well.
ReplyDelete