Some Medical Abbreviations Used in Aussie Hospitals

I'm preparing to hopefully move to Australia in next few months. I have my APHRA registration (the Australia nursing board). Working on my visa (I'm doing with a working holiday visa). I've been looking at a lot of jobs of nurses in Australia mainly in NSW, but I'm not too picky about the location. Its my plan to do travel/contract nursing at first until I'm more settled. Tonight I went over some of the common medical abbreviations used in Australian Hospitals. This list was from a travel agencies I'm planning on working with

Its neat how there are a lot of similarities, and  fair amount of differences in the medical abbreviations used in the USA.

ABG arterial blood gas

ACLS advanced cardiac life support

AF atrial fibrillation

ARDS acute respiratory distress syndrome

ARF acute renal failure

AS aortic stenosis

AXR abdominal X-Ray

BD twice a day

BIB(A) brought in by (ambulance)

BNO bowels not open

BO bowels open

Bolus one large single dose

BP blood pressure

BPM beats per minute

BSB backslap and bandage

BSL/BGL blood sugar level/blood glucose level

CABG coronary artery bypass graft

CAD coronary artery disease

Cap capsule

CCF or CHF congestive heart failure

CHD congenital heart disease

CNC clinical nurse consultant

CNS clinical nurse specialist

c/o complained/complaining of

COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

COAD chronic obstructive airways disease

CPAP continuous positive airway pressure

CRF chronic renal failure

CT computerized tomography

CVC central venous catheter (central line)

CVP central venous pressure

CXR chest X-ray

d/c discharge

DSH dynamic hip screw

DVT deep venous thrombosis

DX diagnosis

ECG electrocardiogram

ECHO echocardiogram (ultrasound of heart)

EEN endorsed enrolled nurse

EN enrolled nurse

ESRD end-stage renal disease

FFP fresh frozen plasma

Hb haemoglobin

HTN hypertension

Hx history

IM intramuscular

IV intravenous

JVP jugular venous pressure

K potassium

Mane morning

MI myocardial infarction

MO medical officer

MRI magnetic resonance imaging

MSU mid stream urinalysis

NBM nil by mouth

Neb nebuliser

NFA no fixed address

NFR not for resuscitation

Nocte night

NOF neck of femur

N/S normal saline

NSAID non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs

NUM nurse unit manager

OD once daily

PCA patient controlled analgesia

PE pulmonary embolus

PO oral

POP plaster of paris

PR per rectal

PRN as needed/ when required

pt patient

PU passed urine

PUIT passed urine in toilet

PV per vagina

q4h, q6h.... every 4 hours, every 6 hours etc.

qid four times a day

RMO resident medical officer

Rx treatment

SC or Subcut subcutaneous

SL sublingual

SOB shortness of breath

STAT (statim) immediately

Tab tablet

TEDS compression stockings (TEDS is a brand name)

t/f transferred

tspn teaspoon

tbspn tablespoon

Tds three times a day

Top topical

Tx transplant

UA urinalysis

US ultrasound

w with

w/o without

# fracture

< less than

> greater than