Dictionary

Abbreviations

Abbreviations nurses read and write, with the ones never to use.

T3Triiodothyronine: the more active of the two main thyroid hormones, or the blood test that measures it.

TACAn abbreviation that can mean triamcinolone, tacrolimus, or a numbing gel of tetracaine, adrenaline and cocaine; ISMP advises full names.

TBSATotal body surface area: the whole skin surface of the body, used to describe how much of it a burn covers.

TCAAn abbreviation for tricyclic antidepressant, an older class of antidepressant drugs; in biology, it can mean the tricarboxylic acid cycle.

TdapA vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) for older children, teens and adults.

TeamSTEPPS®A teamwork and communication training program for health care teams, created by AHRQ and the US Department of Defense.

TENSTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: mild electric pulses sent through pads on the skin to ease pain.

THCTetrahydrocannabinol: the main chemical in cannabis that produces a high.

TIWAn abbreviation for "three times a week" that ISMP advises against; write "3 times weekly."

TNKAn abbreviation for TNKase (tenecteplase), a clot-dissolving drug; ISMP advises writing the full drug name.

TNMTumor, Node, Metastasis: a system for describing how far a cancer has grown and spread.

TPAAn abbreviation for tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase), a clot-dissolving drug; ISMP advises writing the full drug name.

TRAn abbreviation with several meanings, such as text revision (as in DSM-5-TR), tricuspid regurgitation or timed release.

tRNATransfer RNA: small RNA molecules that carry amino acids to the ribosome while a cell builds a protein.

twice dailyTwo times a day; on orders often written BID, from the Latin bis in die.

TXAAn abbreviation for tranexamic acid, a drug that slows the breakdown of blood clots; ISMP advises writing the full name.