Physicians and other healthcare professionals are notorious for using jargon, slang, and abbreviations in their travels around the hospital. These medicine, surgery orthopedic, psychiatry, pediatric, gynecology, and urology words can be very confusing for patients. Listed below are some of the more common ones:
c1 – first cervical vertebrae
c2 – second cervical vertebrae
c3 – third cervical vertebrae
c4 – fourth cervical vertebrae
c5 – fifth cervical vertebrae
c6 – sixth cervical vertebrae
chemo – chemotherapy
coag’s – coagulation lab tests; usually prothrombin test (PT) and partial thomboplastin test (PTT)
CPR – cardiac pulmonary resuscitation
c-spine – cervical spine
CBC – complete blood count
CT – computed tomography (this is the CAT scan sometimes mentioned in the lay press)
CTSP – called to see patient
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