I&O
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Intake and output |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
I&O has two meanings. It stands for Intake and output (nursing) or In-and-out catheterization (nursing).
Meanings of I&O at a glance
| # | I&O stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intake and output | Medical › Nursing |
| 2 | In-and-out catheterization | Medical › Nursing |
1. Intake and output
Medical · Nursing Abbreviations
Measurement and recording of everything a patient takes in (oral fluids, IV fluids, tube feeds, blood products) and everything that comes out (urine, emesis, drain output, stool), totaled per shift and per 24 hours. It guides fluid management in heart failure, kidney injury, surgery and sepsis.
Example: Strict I&O; notify provider if urine output under 30 mL/hr for two consecutive hours.
Also written "I/O" or "I and O". "Strict I&O" means every measurable volume is recorded, often with a urinary catheter or a collection hat in the toilet. Net balance is intake minus output, and a strongly positive balance signals fluid retention. Daily weights are often ordered alongside because they detect fluid shifts more reliably than I&O totals.
2. In-and-out catheterization
Medical · Nursing Abbreviations
Nursing procedure in which a urinary catheter is passed to drain the bladder once and then removed immediately, used for urinary retention, sterile urine specimens or residual checks. Unlike an indwelling Foley, nothing stays in place, which lowers the risk of catheter-associated infection.
Example: Bladder scan 650 mL, unable to void; I&O cath per protocol returned 600 mL clear yellow urine.
Also called straight or intermittent catheterization, and usually charted "I&O cath" or "straight cath" so it is not mistaken for intake and output. Patients with neurogenic bladder may perform clean intermittent self-catheterization several times a day at home. Many hospitals let nurses catheterize under a bladder-scan protocol without a separate order.
Related abbreviations
More nursing abbreviations
- FSBS – Fingerstick blood sugar
- FWF – Free water flush
- HAPI – Hospital-acquired pressure injury
- HL – Heparin lock
- HOB – Head of bed
- HOH – Hard of hearing
- INT – Intermittent needle therapy (intermittent infusion device)
- IPC – Intermittent pneumatic compression
- IS – Incentive spirometry
- IUC – Indwelling urinary catheter
- IVF – Intravenous fluids
- JP – Jackson-Pratt drain
See all 90 nursing abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.