NKA
Medical abbreviation · Nursing
| Stands for | No known allergies |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
NKA stands for No known allergies, a nursing abbreviation.
Allergy status indicating the patient reports no allergies to medications, foods, latex or environmental substances. It is broader than NKDA and is recorded at admission, at triage and on preoperative checklists.
Example: Triage: NKA, last tetanus booster 2021, no home medications.
Usage notes
Clinicians differ in whether NKA truly includes food and latex, so many hospitals require separate fields for each. Electronic health records typically convert either phrase into one coded "no known allergies" entry. Asking in plain words, such as "Have you ever reacted badly to a medicine or food?", catches allergies patients forget to mention.
Related abbreviations
More nursing abbreviations
- NAS – No added salt
- NCP – Nursing care plan
- NCS – No concentrated sweets
- NDx – Nursing diagnosis
- NGT – Nasogastric tube
- NIC – Nursing Interventions Classification
- NKDA – No known drug allergies
- NKFA – No known food allergies
- NOC – Nursing Outcomes Classification
- NPO – Nil per os (nothing by mouth)
- NPWT – Negative pressure wound therapy
- OASIS – Outcome and Assessment Information Set
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.