What do all these abbreviations mean?
The world of newborn intensive care has a language all of its own. Many diseases and therapies are abbreviated. Common abbreviations for diseases are  included below. If your baby's nurse or doctor uses a term you don't understand, ask!!!! Soon, you too will be talking in alphabet soup. :)
 
 
Common Abbreviations
A & B - Apnea and Bradycardia, see Apnea of Prematurity
 
Bili - Bilirubin
 
BP - Blood Pressure, see Low Blood Pressure
 
BPD - Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
 
cc or ml - Metric measures of liquid; 30cc (or ml) is 1 ounce; 5 cc is ~1 teaspoon
 
CNS - Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) or Clinical Nurse Specialist
 
CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (air or oxygen delivered under a small amount of pressure)
 
CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
 
CPT or Chest PT - Chest Physiotherapy (vibrating or tapping on the chest)
 
ET - Endotracheal (refers to a tube placed through the mouth or nose to the wind pipe)
 
Gms or grams - Metric weight; 450 grams = 1 pound; 1 kilogram (Kg) = 1000 grams
 
HMD - Hyaline Membrane Disease (another name for Respiratory Distress Syndrome)
 
HI-FI - High Frequency Ventilator -a kind of breathing machine that delivers hundreds of tiny breaths per minute while holding the air sac open
 
ID - Infectious Disease or Identification
 
IMV - Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation - # of breaths per minute by the ventilator
 
IV - Intravenous (by vein)
 
IVH - Intraventricular Hemorrhage
 
LP - Lumbar Puncture (getting sample of spinal fluid using a needle)
 
NEC - Necrotizing Enterocolitis
 
NG - Nasal Gastric (tube going from nose to stomach)
 
NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
 
NPO - Nothing by Mouth
 
O2 - Oxygen
 
OG - Oral Gastric (tube going from mouth to stomach)
 
OT - Occupational Therapist
 
PDA - Patent Ductus Arteriosus
 
PICC or PCVL - an tiny catheter or tube threaded into a vein to give fluids or nutrition
 
PT - Physical Therapist
 
PVL - Periventricular Leukomalacia
 
RN - Registered Nurse
 
ROP - Retinopathy of Prematurity
 
RDS - Respiratory Distress Syndrome
 
SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
 
SIMV - Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation (machine breaths timed to baby's)
 
TPR - Temperature, pulse and respiration
 
TTNB - Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn
 
TPN or TNA - Total Parenteral Nutrition (nutrition by vein)
 
UAC - Umbilical Artery Catheter, see equipment
 
UTI - Urinary Tract (kidney or bladder) Infection
 
UVC - Umbilical Venous Catheter, see equipment
 
VS - Vital signs ( temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure)
 
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