D/T Medical Abbreviation: What It Means in Healthcare

What Does D/T Mean?

D/T stands for “Due To.”
It’s used to explain the reason or cause of a medical condition, symptom, or nursing diagnosis.

For example:

• “Impaired skin integrity d/t immobility.”
• “Shortness of breath d/t fluid overload.”

In both examples, D/T connects the problem to what caused it.

Where You Might See D/T

You’ll often find D/T in:

• Nursing care plans - linking a diagnosis to its cause.
• Progress notes - explaining why a condition exists.
• Discharge summaries - summarizing what led to hospitalization or symptoms.
• Medical assessments - showing relationships between health issues.

Using D/T makes documentation clearer, showing not only what the issue is, but why it happened.

Why Do Providers Use D/T?

Healthcare professionals use D/T to ensure every diagnosis or note shows clinical reasoning. It tells other team members the cause of a problem so they can address it correctly.

For example:

• “Risk for infection d/t surgical incision.”
• “Anxiety d/t upcoming procedure.”

These phrases show cause and effect, helping the care team focus on prevention or treatment.

The American Nurses Association emphasizes that clear, accurate documentation is essential for quality care. Using D/T makes notes easier to understand and improves team communication.

D/T vs Related Abbreviations

It’s easy to confuse D/T with other medical abbreviations that appear in the same context:

• D/T (Due To): Explains the cause of a problem.
• R/T (Related To): Describes a contributing factor that may not be the direct cause.
• AEB (As Evidenced By): Lists the signs or symptoms that prove the diagnosis.

Example:
“Impaired physical mobility r/t muscle weakness aeb unsteady gait d/t stroke.”

Here, each part connects logically:

• The stroke is the cause (D/T).
• Muscle weakness is the related factor (R/T).
• Unsteady gait is the evidence (AEB).