Confusing Medical Acronyms, Decoded
When dealing with doctors, don't be embarrassed to ask about abbreviations, especially if they involve a medication or procedure; they could have double meanings.
By Joe Kita from Reader's Digest Magazine | May 2012
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G.A.
General Anesthesia?
or
Ginger Ale?
General Anesthesia?<br><br>or<br><br>Ginger Ale?
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G.C.
Gastric Cancer?
or
Good Condition?
Gastric Cancer?<br><br>or<br><br>Good Condition?
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H.D.
Heart Disease
or
Herniated Disk
Heart Disease<br><br>or<br><br>Herniated Disk
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H.T.
Hammertoe?
or
Head Trauma?
Hammertoe?<br><br>or<br><br>Head Trauma?
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A.B.C.
Advanced Breast Cancer?
or
Applesauce/Bananas/Cereal diet?
Advanced Breast Cancer?<br><br>or<br><br>Applesauce/Bananas/Cereal diet?
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B.P.
Bedpan?
or
Bypass?
Bedpan?<br><br>or<br><br>Bypass?
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C.R.
Cardiac Rehabilitation?
or
Colon Resection?
Cardiac Rehabilitation?<br><br>or<br><br>Colon Resection?
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C.S.T.
Cardiac Stress Test?
or
Convulsive Shock Therapy?
Cardiac Stress Test?<br><br>or<br><br>Convulsive Shock Therapy?
© Spike Mafford/Photodisc/Thinkstock
I.M.
Ice Massage?
or
Infectious Mononucleosis?
Ice Massage?<br><br>or<br><br>Infectious Mononucleosis?
© Siri Stafford/Photodisc/Thinkstock
L.B.
Left Breast?
or
Left Buttock?
Left Breast?<br><br>or<br><br>Left Buttock?
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L.L.D.
Late-Life Depression?
or
Leg-Length Differential?
Late-Life Depression?<br><br>or<br><br>Leg-Length Differential?
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M.S.
Milk Shake?
or
Morphine Sulfate?
Milk Shake?<br><br>or<br><br>Morphine Sulfate?
© altrendo images/Stockbyte/Thinkstock
R&R
Rest and Recuperation?
or
Remove and Replace?
Rest and Recuperation?<br><br>or<br><br>Remove and Replace?