The D/T medical abbreviation means due to, and it links a problem to the cause the writer believes is behind it, as in "dehydration d/t vomiting." It is nearly always written in lower case with a slash, d/t, in the middle of a sentence.
Doctors, nurses and therapists use it in progress notes, admission summaries and care plans because it saves space in a sentence that would otherwise be long. It is close in meaning to R/T, related to, and is not the same as DTs, the short form for delirium tremens. This page shows how d/t reads in practice and how to keep it apart from look-alike forms.
At a glance
Stands for
Due toWritten as
d/t, D/T, 2/2 (secondary to, a different form)Where you see it
Progress notes, admission summaries, nursing care plansUsed in
Linking a finding or problem to its causeSimilar terms
Do not confuse with
DTs (delirium tremens) and DTR (deep tendon reflex)
What the D/T medical abbreviation does in a sentence
D/t works like a small bridge. On one side is the problem, finding or event. On the other side is the cause. "Fall d/t dizziness" says the fall happened because of dizziness. "Delayed discharge d/t pending MRI" says the discharge is waiting on a scan.
Writers use it when they are fairly sure of the link. When the cause is only suspected, careful notes add words like likely, possible or suspected, as in "cough likely d/t viral infection." That small qualifier tells the next reader how firm the conclusion is.
Sample lines with due to, decoded
| Line | Plain meaning |
|---|---|
| Dehydration d/t poor PO intake | Low body fluids because the person has not been eating or drinking enough by mouth |
| SOB d/t fluid overload | Short of breath because of too much fluid in the body |
| Held AM meds d/t NPO for procedure | Morning medicines held because the patient may have nothing by mouth before a test |
| Unable to ambulate d/t pain | Could not walk because of pain |
Nurse's handoff: "PT session deferred d/t low BP this morning, recheck after lunch." Physical therapy was put off because blood pressure was low, and staff plan to check again later.
D/T medical abbreviation nursing care plans
Nursing students meet d/t often in care plans, alongside the more formal phrase related to. Many programs teach nursing diagnoses in a three part format: the problem, related to the cause, as evidenced by the signs. Some instructors accept d/t in that middle slot, while others prefer R/T because a nursing diagnosis describes a factor the nurse can address rather than a medical cause.
Care plan line: "Impaired mobility r/t post op pain AEB reluctance to get OOB." A student might see d/t in the same spot in a progress note, but the care plan uses r/t by convention.
Check your program's style guide, since rules differ between schools.
Look-alikes: R/T, 2/2, DTs and DTR
- R/T, related to, is softer than due to and is the standard link in nursing diagnoses.
- 2/2, secondary to, means much the same as due to and is common in physician notes, as in "AKI 2/2 dehydration."
- DTs is the short form for delirium tremens, the most serious stage of withdrawal from alcohol, tracked with tools such as the CIWA scale. It is a condition, not a linking word.
- DTR stands for deep tendon reflex, tested with a reflex hammer.
The slash and the lower case letters are the main clues that d/t means due to.
Reading d/t in your own records
When a patient sees d/t in a portal note, it shows what the writer thought was causing a problem at that point. Causes are sometimes updated as tests come back, so a later note may state a different reason. If a link in your notes seems off, you can ask how the team arrived at it.
Other connecting shorthand appears in the chart abbreviations section.
A cause written in a note is the writer's assessment at that time. Your own clinician is the person to explain how it applies to your care.
Frequently asked questions
What does d/t mean in medical terms?
It means due to. It links a problem to its cause, for example dizziness d/t low blood sugar.
Is d/t the same as r/t?
They are close. D/t means due to and states a cause, while r/t means related to and is the usual wording in nursing diagnoses.
Does D/T mean delirium tremens?
Usually not. Delirium tremens is normally written DTs. The slash form d/t almost always means due to.
What does 2/2 mean in a medical note?
2/2 means secondary to. It is used much like due to, as in anemia 2/2 blood loss.