c/o
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Complains of |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Writing & Everyday |
c/o has two meanings. It stands for Complains of (nursing) or Care of (mail and postal).
Meanings of c/o at a glance
| # | c/o stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complains of | Medical › Nursing |
| 2 | Care of | Writing & Everyday › Mail and Postal |
1. Complains of
Medical · Nursing Abbreviations
Charting phrase introducing the patient's reported symptom, written right before the complaint in nursing notes and triage records. It marks the patient's own report rather than an objective finding, which is why it belongs to the subjective part of a note.
Example: 58 y/o male c/o crushing substernal chest pain x 30 min radiating to left arm.
Written with a slash and usually in lowercase, though "C/O" also occurs. Some educators prefer "reports" or "states" because "complains" can sound judgmental. On mail, c/o means "care of", which is unrelated. Adding onset, duration and severity right after c/o makes the line useful to the next reader.
2. Care of
Writing & Everyday · Mail and Postal Abbreviations · also used in geography
Directs mail to a person at an address where they do not normally receive post by naming the person or organization who will pass it on, as in "Jane Smith c/o Acme Corp."
Example: Send the package to Maria Lopez, c/o Grand Hotel, 120 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
The c/o line goes directly below the recipient's name in the address block. It is used for hotel guests, people staying with relatives, students, and mail sent through a lawyer, agent or employer. It is written lowercase with a slash, though C/O in capitals is also common and accepted by postal services. Some writers use "℅," a single-character form.
Related abbreviations
More nursing abbreviations
- BS – Blood sugar
- BSC – Bedside commode
- C&DB – Cough and deep breathe
- C/D/I – Clean, dry and intact
- CBG – Capillary blood glucose
- CBR – Complete bed rest
- CLD – Clear liquid diet
- CVAD – Central venous access device
See all 90 nursing abbreviations →
More mail and postal abbreviations
- APO – Army Post Office
- Attn – Attention
- BFPO – British Forces Post Office
- CMRRR – Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested
- COA – Change of address
- DPO – Diplomatic Post Office
- EMS – Express Mail Service
- FAO – For the attention of
See all 35 mail and postal abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.