SOME COMMON HEALTH CONDITIONS
BPD - Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (also Chronic Lung Disease – CLD) - caused by tissue damage to the lungs due to supplemental oxygen and mechanical ventilation
IUGR - Intrauterine Growth Restriction – stunted fetal growth prior to birth
IVH - Intraventricular Hemmorhage or PVH - Periventricular Hemmorhage – bleeding in or around, respectively, the ventricles of the brain
LGA (large for gestational age) and SGA (small for gestational age) – terms applied to neonates who are large or small, respectively, for the number of weeks they were in utero
Mecomium Aspiration – aspiration of the first bowel movement (mecomium) into the lungs
NAS – Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome – the symptoms of drug withdrawal in babies born to mothers who used drugs
NEC - Necrotizing Enterocolitis – a serious disease that causes intestinal tissue damage
PDA - Patent Ductus Arteriosis – refers to the blood vessel between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, which should close before birth, remaining open
RDS – Respiratory Distress Syndrome (also Hyaline Membrane Disease – HMD) – a lack of sufficient surfactant coating inside the lungs to allow proper expanding and contracting during breathing, and the alveoli in the lungs collapse each time the baby breathes.
ROP - Retinopathy of Prematurity – a disorder in which abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina; can cause retinal detachment and vision loss
TTN – Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn – a mild problem of rapid breathing which usually resolves when the infant is a few days old
VLBW – very low birth weight infants (less than 1500 grams)
FEEDING TERMS
NG - Nasogastric; OG - Orogastric (tubes) – both of these are feeding tubes going from the nose or mouth, respectively, to the stomach (also called "gavage" tube)
NPO - Nothing by Mouth (PO – by mouth/ orally)
PEG – Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy tube (also called G-tube) – feeding tube inserted into the abdomen through the skin
PEJ – Percutaneous Endoscopic Jejunostomy tube (also called J-tube) – feeding tube inserted into the upper small intestine through the skin
TPN - Total Parenteral Nutrition – Nutrition that is given by intravenous (IV) tube into the bloodstream
COMMON EQUIPMENT
CPAP – Continuous Positive Airway Pressure – a machine that provides a constant pressured supply of air or oxygen
ECMO – Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation – for babies with severe respiratory disease, this machine channels blood from an infant's vein externally, pumping it through a device that adds oxygen and takes away carbon dioxide
ET or ETT – Endotracheal Tube – a tube going from the mouth or nose into the trachea, used for breathing
HFV – High Frequency Ventilator– a machine that delivers hundreds of small breaths to the baby each minute
IMV – Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation – a machine delivering a set number of breaths every minute (can also be SIMV, synchronized IVM, which is coordinated with baby's breathing)
IV – Introvenous (tube or pump) – Delivers medicine or nutrients to the body through the bloodstream
PICC – Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter; PCVC – Percutaneous Central Venous Catheter – a tube inserted into a large (central) vein
UAC – Umbilical Artery Catheter; UVC – Umbilical Venous Catheter – a tube connected to the artery or vein, respectively, in the stump of the umbilical cord
COMMON METRIC MEASURES
Gm, gram; 100 grams = 3.5 ounces
Kg, kilogram; 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
Ml, milliliter; 30 milliliters = 1 ounce
Cc (sometimes cm3) cubic centimeter; 1 cc = 1 ml
