Get Using Medical Abbreviations

Abbreviations are commonly used in the medical world to save time and space whilst writing in the patients' medical records. As various specialties have evolved, each has developed a collection of commonly used abbreviations within its practice, which may not be recognizable to those not working within the same field.

Why Do Clinicians Use Medical Abbreviations? Using Abbreviations Saves Time. Communication between Staff Becomes Easier. Language of Communication. Communication Becomes Easier. Reduces Chances of Error. Have Clarity on Medical Notes.

While initially, the abbreviations were limited to the writing of prescriptions, today, abbreviations have become very common in all aspects of medical documentation. Medical abbreviations are used in all medical and surgical departments, during surgery, the emergency room, and at discharge.

To use an abbreviation, write the full name in the first instance and follow it immediately by the abbreviated version in brackets. When something is better known by its abbreviation, it may be helpful to include the abbreviation even if the name occurs only once (e.g. World Health Organization (WHO)).

Abbreviations are commonly used in the medical world to save time and space whilst writing in the patients' medical records. As various specialties have evolved, each has developed a collection of commonly used abbreviations within its practice, which may not be recognizable to those not working within the same field.

Abbreviations and acronyms are used to save space and to avoid distracting the reader. Acronyms that abbreviate three or more words are usually written without periods (exception is U.S.S.R.). Abbreviations should only be used if the organization or term appears two or more times in the text.

Abbreviations are sometimes not understood, misread, or interpreted incorrectly. Their use lengthens the time needed to train healthcare professionals; wastes time tracking down their meaning; sometimes delays the patient's care; and occasionally results in patient harm.