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What Does LW Mean in Medical Terms?
LW stands for living will. Document stating end-of-life treatment wishes.
living will
Document stating end-of-life treatment wishes.
Where you will see LW
You will most often see LW in nursing notes, care plans and handovers, medical charts and clinical notes.
Example
A chart note might use “LW” as shorthand for living will when documenting a patient's care.
Related abbreviations
- 1:1 — one-to-one observation
- 2g Na diet — two-gram sodium diet
- 4-point restraints — four-point restraints
- A&O — alert and oriented
- A&O x4 — alert and oriented times four (person place time situation)
- A-line — A-line (arterial line shorthand)
- a.c. — ante cibum (before meals)
- a.m. — ante meridiem (morning)
Browse the full Medical Abbreviations guide — 5,715 entries, searchable A–Z and by specialty.
Educational reference only. This guide is for learning and quick reference. Abbreviations vary between hospitals, countries and specialties, and some are discouraged because they can be misread. Always write and interpret orders using your own institution’s approved abbreviation list, and check anything unclear with the prescriber or your local policy.