Abbreviations

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

A linear stapler that lays straight, staggered rows of staples across tissue without cutting it, to close an end or an opening.

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

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

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

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

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

The joint in front of each ear where the lower jaw meets the temporal bone, which lets the mouth open and close.

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

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

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

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

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

Removal of the whole uterus, including the cervix, through an incision in the abdomen; abbreviated TAH.

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

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

An ultrasound of the heart taken with a probe passed down the esophagus, which lies just behind the heart.

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

Tech in Surgery-Certified, the NCCT's certification for surgical technologists.

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

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