Slang & Jargon

Front 1

a-fib, A-fib, AFib

Back 1

Atrial Fibrillation (a severe cardiac arrhythmia)

Front 2

alk phos

Back 2

Alkaline Phosphatase (a lab value for a chemical in the blood)

Front 3

appy

Back 3

Appendectomy or Appendicitis

Front 4

bicarb

Back 4

Bicarbonate (one of the electrolytes, with sodium, potassium, and chloride)

Front 5

CBC with diff

Back 5

CBC (complete blood count) with differential (the percentages of differential types of white cells in the blood)

Front 6

bili

Back 6

Bilirubin (a lab value for liver function testing)

Front 7

caps

Back 7

Capsules

Front 8

cath

Back 8

Catheter or Catheterization

Front 9

chemo

Back 9

Chemotherapy

Front 10

chole

Back 10

Cholecystectomy

Front 11

crit

Back 11

Hematocrit (test for packed red cells in the blood)

Front 12

DC

Back 12

Discontinue or Discharge, past tense DC'd, sometimes dc/dc'd (acceptable in a clinic or nurse's note but not in a formal document)

Front 13

detox

Back 13

Detoxification

Front 14

dig

Back 14

Digoxin or Digitalis; pronounced with a short i & g sounding like j (med for cardiac problems)

Front 15

dip sesta

Back 15

Dipyridamole Sestamibi (a nuclear x-ray exam)

Front 16

double J stent

Back 16

JJ Stent (a surgical device for keeping tubes in place)

Front 17

echo

Back 17

Echocardiogram (recording of heart function by analyzing sound waves)

Front 18

eos

Back 18

Eosinophils (white blood cells that are part of the CBC with differential)

Front 19

exam

Back 19

Examination (evaluation, as in physical examination or Mental Status Examination)

Front 20

flesig

Back 20

Flxible signoidoscopy (inspection of the sigmoid, the S-shaped lower portion of the colon, with flexible endoscopic instrument)

Front 21

Foley

Back 21

Foley Catheter (a catheter commonly used during surgical procedures for draining urine from the bladder)

Front 22

HCTZ

Back 22

Hydrochlorothiazide (a med for the control of hypertension and edema)

Front 23

hem/onc

Back 23

Hematology/Oncology (the medical specialty that deals with cancer and blood problems)

Front 24

hep C (A,D)

Back 24

Hepatites C (A, B) (liver disease characterized by infection and inflammation)

Front 25

K

Back 25

Potassium (the chemical symbol for the element potassium, This is an acceptable usage)

Front 26

KCI

Back 26

Potassium Chloride (the chemical formula for potassium chloride; it's often given to cardiac patients whose potassium is depleted by diuretic meds, such as Lasix. This is an acceptable usage.)

Front 27

lac

Back 27

Laceration

Front 28

lyphs

Back 28

Lymphocytes (another type of white blood cell included in the CBC with differential)

Front 29

lytes

Back 29

Electrolytes (usually sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate
they are blood chemistries evaluated in laboratory studies)

Front 30

mag

Back 30

Magnesium (chemical in the blood, also a med given for some medical conditions, such as alcohol overdose)

Front 31

meds

Back 31

Medications

Front 32

mets

Back 32

Metastases, singular met/metastasis (the spread of malignant neoplasm-cancer-from the primary site to one or more secondary sites)

Front 33

migs

Back 33

Milligrams, written as mg

Front 34

mikes

Back 34

Micrograms, written as mcg

Front 35

monos

Back 35

Monocytes (white blood cells that are a part of the CBC with differential)

Front 36

nebs

Back 36

Nebulizers

Front 37

neuro

Back 37

Neurological or neurology

Front 38

neuropshcj

Back 38

Neuropsychiatric or Neuropshychiatry

Front 39

O2 sat

Back 39

Oxygen saturation (the amount of oxygen present in the blood; measured by pulse oximetry)

Front 40

path

Back 40

Pathology

Front 41

perf

Back 41

Perforation (a hole, as in a perforated eardrum or perforated bowl)

Front 42

preop

Back 42

Preoperative (before an operation)

Front 43

postop

Back 43

Postoperative (after an operation)

Front 44

prepped

Back 44

Prepared (a short form commonly used in surgical reports; e.g., "The patient was prepped and draped")

Front 45

psych

Back 45

Psychiatry, Psychology

Front 46

regurg

Back 46

Regurgitation (flow in the opposite for direction of normal, vomiting)

Front 47

rehab

Back 47

Rehabilitation (the process of restoring normal form and function after injury or illness by means of physical, psychosocial, vocational, or recreational activities)

Front 48

sat

Back 48

Saturation (a measure of the degree to which oxygen is bound to the hemoglobin in the blood; it is given as a percentage and reflects pulmonary function)

Front 49

sed rate

Back 49

Sedimentation Rate (a laboratory value related to the action of red blood cells)

Front 50

segs

Back 50

Segmented Neutrophils (white blood cells that are part of the CBC differential)

Front 51

t. bili

Back 51

Total bilirubin (a bile pigment that is measured in liver function studies)

Front 52

tabs

Back 52

Tablets

Front 53

triple A

Back 53

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA, cardiovascular anomaly)

Front 54

V-tach

Back 54

Ventricular Tachycardia (an increased ventricular heart rate)

Front 55

voc rehab

Back 55

Vocational Rehabilitation (rehab for those who need to retrain in a former or new vocation due to illness or injury)