The N/V medical abbreviation means nausea and vomiting, two symptoms that so often travel together that clinicians write them as one pair. Nausea is the queasy feeling that you might throw up, and vomiting is actually bringing stomach contents up and out through the mouth.
N/V turns up in emergency notes, after surgery records, pregnancy visits, chemotherapy plans and medication side effect lists. Nurses chart it, doctors list it among symptoms, and pharmacists see it on the reason line for an anti nausea order. Closely related forms add more letters, such as N/V/D for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
At a glance
Stands for
Nausea and vomitingWritten as
N/V, n/v, N&VLonger forms
N/V/D (plus diarrhea), PONV (after surgery), NVP (in pregnancy)Where you see it
Symptom lists, triage notes, side effect warnings, nursing flow sheetsMedical terms
Nausea; emesis for vomitingDo not confuse with
NV without a slash, often neurovascular as in an NV check
What the N/V medical abbreviation stands for
The two letters name two separate symptoms. N is nausea, an unpleasant urge to vomit that may come with sweating, drooling or feeling faint. V is vomiting, the forceful emptying of the stomach. A person can have nausea without vomiting, so careful notes sometimes record them apart, such as "nausea, no vomiting." The plain word page for the medical term for vomiting explains emesis and related words.
The slash simply joins the two. It does not mean either one or a ratio. Some writers use an ampersand, N&V, which reads the same way.
Common combinations built on N/V
Because stomach symptoms cluster, N/V gets extended in a few standard ways.
| Shorthand | Meaning | Typical setting |
|---|---|---|
| N/V/D | Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea | Stomach bugs, food poisoning |
| N/V/D/C | Adds constipation, used on review of symptoms checklists | Clinic intake |
| PONV | Postoperative nausea and vomiting | Recovery room, surgery notes |
| NVP | Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy | Prenatal care |
| CINV | Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting | Cancer care |
Reading N/V in real chart lines
Triage note: "34F c/o N/V x 2 days, unable to keep down fluids, denies blood in emesis." This reads: a 34 year old woman complains of nausea and vomiting for two days, cannot keep fluids down, and has not seen blood in what she vomits. C/O means complains of.
Medication order: "Ondansetron 4 mg IV q8h PRN N/V." The last part gives the reason the as needed dose may be used. The dose shows the format, not a recommendation.
When N/V appears in a review of systems, a minus sign or the word denies in front of it means the patient does not have these symptoms. For example, "GI: denies N/V" is a negative finding.
N/V versus NV: one slash makes a difference
Without the slash, NV is often used for neurovascular, as in an "NV check" or "NV intact" after a fracture or cast. That check looks at color, warmth, feeling and movement of a limb, and is unrelated to the stomach. A related idea is charted as CMS, circulation, motion and sensation.
Context almost always settles it. A line about a cast, a splint or an arm points to neurovascular. A line about meals, fluids, or anti nausea medicine points to nausea and vomiting. Unclear handwriting is worth a quick question to whoever wrote it.
Why nurses track N/V closely
Ongoing vomiting can lead to fluid loss, so nurses note how often it happens, how much comes up, and what it looks like. They may also record intake and output, whether the patient can keep down sips, and whether an as needed medicine helped. After surgery, they watch for PONV because it can slow recovery and make pain harder to control.
Students will find N/V on almost every flow sheet. The nursing abbreviations hub lists other symptom shorthand often charted beside it, such as SOB and abdominal pain.
Questions to raise if N/V is on your paperwork
- Is the nausea listed as a symptom I came in with, or as a possible side effect of a new medicine?
- If an anti nausea medicine was prescribed as needed, how often may it be taken?
- What signs mean I should call or come back, such as being unable to keep fluids down?
These points describe how the shorthand is used in general. If nausea or vomiting affects you or someone you care for, a doctor, nurse or pharmacist can say what applies in that situation.
Frequently asked questions
What does N/V mean on a prescription?
It usually gives the reason for an anti nausea medicine, as in PRN N/V, meaning the medicine may be used as needed for nausea or vomiting. The pharmacy label normally spells this out in plain words.
What does N/V/D stand for?
N/V/D means nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It is common in notes about stomach infections, food poisoning and medicine side effects.
What does denies N/V mean?
It means the patient said they have no nausea and no vomiting. It is a negative finding, often listed in the review of systems.
Is N/V the same as PONV?
PONV is a specific kind of N/V that happens after surgery and anesthesia. N/V on its own can have any cause.
What is the medical word for vomiting?
Emesis is the medical word for vomiting, and it can also mean the material that is vomited. Antiemetic describes a medicine used to prevent or ease vomiting.