What does the abbreviation 'D/C' stand for, and what should be used instead?

• A. Discontinue; use 'discontinue' instead of the abbreviation.
• B. Discharge; use 'discharge' instead of the abbreviation.
• C. Discharge; use 'discontinue' instead of the abbreviation.
• D. Date Created; use 'date created' instead of the abbreviation.

Answer: (B)

Clear documentation relies on spelling out terms rather than abbreviations. D/C is ambiguous because it can be read as discharge or discontinue, depending on context. In this item, the intended meaning is discharge—the patient leaving a facility or the discharge instructions context. Therefore the best practice is to replace D/C with the full word 'discharge' to ensure unambiguous communication. If you actually mean stopping a medication, you should write 'discontinue' in full rather than using the abbreviation. The other suggested meanings, like date created, do not fit the clinical context here.