APAP
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (acetaminophen) |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
APAP has two meanings. It stands for N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (acetaminophen) (drug) or Automatic positive airway pressure (respiratory).
Meanings of APAP at a glance
| # | APAP stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (acetaminophen) | Medical › Drug |
| 2 | Automatic positive airway pressure | Medical › Respiratory |
1. N-acetyl-para-aminophenol (acetaminophen)
Medical · Drug Abbreviations
Abbreviation for acetaminophen, the pain and fever reliever sold as Tylenol and known outside North America as paracetamol. It appears on prescription combination products such as hydrocodone/APAP and on hospital orders.
Example: Hydrocodone/APAP 5/325 mg, 1 tab q6h PRN pain; no other Tylenol products.
The letters come from the chemical name N-acetyl-para-aminophenol. ISMP lists APAP as error-prone because many patients and some staff do not recognize it as acetaminophen, leading to accidental double dosing; pharmacy groups recommend spelling out "acetaminophen" on labels. Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the US.
2. Automatic positive airway pressure
Medical · Respiratory Abbreviations
Sleep apnea machine that automatically adjusts pressure within a set range, breath by breath, in response to detected airway narrowing, snoring or apneas. It allows home treatment to start without an in-laboratory titration study.
Example: APAP 5 to 15 cm H2O; 90th percentile pressure 11, AHI 2.4 on download.
Also called auto-CPAP or auto-titrating PAP. It is unsuitable for some patients, such as those with significant heart failure, central sleep apnea or obesity hypoventilation, where fixed or bilevel settings are preferred. In pharmacy APAP means acetaminophen (N-acetyl-para-aminophenol), a much more common use of the same letters.
Related abbreviations
More drug abbreviations
- ABX – Antibiotics
- ACV – Acyclovir
- AmB – Amphotericin B
- amp – Ampicillin
- Ara-C – Cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside)
- ASA – Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
- ATG – Antithymocyte globulin
- ATRA – All-trans retinoic acid (tretinoin)
See all 170 drug abbreviations →
More respiratory abbreviations
- AECOPD – Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- AERD – Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease
- AHI – Apnea-hypopnea index
- AHRF – Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure
- APRV – Airway pressure release ventilation
- ARDS – Acute respiratory distress syndrome
- ARF – Acute respiratory failure
- ATS – American Thoracic Society
See all 109 respiratory abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.