SSI
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Supplemental Security Income |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Government & Politics, Medical |
SSI has three meanings. The most common are Supplemental Security Income (public program) and Surgical site infection (hospital); it can also stand for Sliding scale insulin.
Meanings of SSI at a glance
| # | SSI stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supplemental Security Income | Government & Politics › Public Program |
| 2 | Surgical site infection | Medical › Hospital |
| 3 | Sliding scale insulin | Medical › Prescription |
1. Supplemental Security Income
Government & Politics · Public Program Abbreviations
Monthly cash benefit from the Social Security Administration for people with very limited income and resources who are 65 or older, blind or disabled, including children. It is funded by general tax revenues rather than Social Security payroll taxes.
Example: His SSI check was reduced because he lives with his sister and she pays the rent.
Enacted in 1972 and paid since January 1974, it replaced state programs for aged, blind and disabled people. The maximum federal payment in 2025 was $967 a month for an individual. The resource limit of $2,000 for an individual has not changed since 1989. In most states SSI recipients automatically qualify for Medicaid.
2. Surgical site infection
Medical · Hospital Abbreviations
Infection at or near a surgical incision, or in the deep tissues or organ space operated on, usually within 30 days of surgery or 90 days when an implant is involved.
Example: Superficial SSI POD 7: wound opened, packed, cultures sent.
Classified as superficial incisional, deep incisional or organ/space infections. Prevention includes timely antibiotic prophylaxis, appropriate hair removal with clippers and glucose control. In pharmacy, ISMP lists SSI as an error-prone abbreviation for sliding scale insulin, which has been confused with "strong solution of iodine".
3. Sliding scale insulin
Medical · Prescription Abbreviations
Insulin dosing method in which the dose given before meals or at bedtime depends on the current blood glucose result, for example 2 units for 151-200 mg/dL and 4 units for 201-250 mg/dL. ISMP warns it can be read as Strong Solution of Iodine (Lugol's solution).
Example: Lispro SSI low-dose scale with meals; hold if patient NPO.
Used alone, SSI reacts to high glucose after the fact rather than preventing it, and the ADA advises against sliding-scale-only regimens in the hospital. Modern order sets call it "correction insulin" and pair it with scheduled basal and nutritional insulin. In surgery and infection control, SSI more commonly means surgical site infection.
Related abbreviations
More public program abbreviations
- SEP – Special enrollment period
- SGA – Substantial gainful activity
- SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- SSDI – Social Security Disability Insurance
- SSN – Social Security number
- TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- TARP – Troubled Asset Relief Program
- TEFAP – The Emergency Food Assistance Program
See all 65 public program abbreviations →
More hospital abbreviations
- SDU – Step-down unit
- SICU – Surgical intensive care unit
- SNF – Skilled nursing facility
- SPD – Sterile processing department
- SW – Social work
- TCU – Transitional care unit
- Tele – Telemetry
- TICU – Trauma intensive care unit
See all 89 hospital abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.