Neurosurgical Abbreviations
- N -

N          normal or nausea

NA       not applicable

N/A      not applicable

Na⁺      sodium

NaCl     sodium chloride (salt)

NAD     no acute distress

NAS     nothing abnormal seen or no added salt

N.A.S.A.  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASPER  National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act

NASS  North American Spine Society

NAW    Nasal Antral Window

NB       newborn

N.B.     very important

NBQC  narrow-based quad cane

NC       non-contributory

N/C      no complaints

NCNMG    Northern California Neurosurgery Medical Group, Inc.

NCV     nerve conduction studies

NDI       Neck Disability Index

NEC     not elsewhere categorized (ICD-9 term) or necrotizing enterocolitis

neg.     negative

neuro   neurologic or neurology or neurosurgery

N.F.      National Formulary (of medications)

NG       nasogastric

N/G      nasogastric

ng.       nanogram (unit of weight)

NH₃      ammonia

N.H.L.  non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

NIDDM  non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

N.I.H.    National Institutes of

Health

nil         none

NIOSH  National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health

nitro     nitroglycerin (heart medication)

NKA     no known allergies

NKDA  no known drug  allergies

nl         normal

NM       neuromuscular

NMDA  N-methyl D-aspartate (a receptor for pain)

NMR     nuclear magnetic resonance (same as MRI)

NND     new and non-official drugs

no.       number

noc      night

non-WB   non-weightbearing

NOPE   Notice of Potential Eligibility for Benefits

NOS     not otherwise specified (ICD-9 term)

NP        neuropsychiatric or nasopharyngeal

NPA     nasopharyngeal airway

NPC     non-productive cough

NPH     neutral protamine Hagedorn (insulin) or normal pressure hydrocephalus

NPN     nonprotein nitrogen

NPO     nothing by mouth

NPO/HS   nothing by mouth at bedtime

NR       non-reactive

NRB     non-rebreathing

NRC     Nuclear Regulatory Commission

nrsg     nursing

NS       non-specific or normal saline or neurosurgeon

N/S      normal saline

NSAID's   non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications

NSF     normal saline flush

N.S.F.  National Science Foundation

NSG     nursing

NSL     normal saline lock

NSR     normal sinus rhythm

NSS     normal saline solution

NST     non-stress test (OB/Gyn)

NSVD  normal spontaneous vaginal delivery

NT        nasotracheal

NTD     neural tube defects

NTG     nitroglycerin

NTT      nasotracheal tube

N/V      nausea and vomitting

N&V     nausea and vomitting

NWB    non-weight bearing

If you are aware of any abbreviations not in this list, your help would be greatly appreciated.  Please send me any abbreviations not on the list and I will update the web site.  Click here to send a comment.