Oncology nurses often remember CRAB from electrolyte lectures during nursing school, as the “C” stands for hypercalcemia. Although the acronym describes end-organ symptoms of multiple myeloma, it does not provide a full picture.
Now, SLiM CRAB has replaced CRAB. Because patients with multiple myeloma, or precursor diseases, often seek to understand their disease, oncology nurses must be able to explain this new complicated acronym.