KI

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

KI
Stands forPotassium iodide
Meanings2
CategoriesMedical, Geography & Places

KI has two meanings. It stands for Potassium iodide (drug) or Kiribati (country code).

Meanings of KI at a glance

#KI stands forContext
1Potassium iodideMedical › Drug
2KiribatiGeography & Places › Country Code

1. Potassium iodide

Medical · Drug Abbreviations

Salt that saturates the thyroid with stable iodine so it cannot absorb radioactive iodine released in a nuclear accident. Tablets (130 mg for adults) are stockpiled near nuclear power plants and distributed in emergencies.

Example: Public health alert: take KI only if instructed by officials after the reactor release.

Potassium iodide protects only the thyroid and only against radioactive iodine; it does not protect against other radiation. Children and pregnant people benefit most, as seen in childhood thyroid cancers after the 1986 Chernobyl accident. FDA guidance on KI dosing dates from 2001. KI also appears as the chemical formula in science texts.

2. Kiribati

Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations

Pacific nation of 33 atolls and islands, pronounced KIRR-ih-bas, that straddles the equator and the 180th meridian. Its Line Islands are among the first places on Earth to enter each new day, at UTC+14.

Example: Kiritimati in KI is the first inhabited place to celebrate the New Year.

Kiribati moved the International Date Line in 1995 so the whole country shares the same date. South Tarawa is the capital, and the alpha-3 code is KIR.

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  • IVIG – Intravenous immunoglobulin
  • IVMP – Intravenous methylprednisolone
  • KCl – Potassium chloride
  • L-dopa – Levodopa
  • LEN – Lenacapavir
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  • LEV – Levetiracetam

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More country code abbreviations

  • JP – Japan
  • KE – Kenya
  • KG – Kyrgyzstan
  • KH – Cambodia
  • KM – Comoros
  • KN – Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • KP – North Korea
  • KR – South Korea

See all 270 country code abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.