MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY ABBREVIATIONS
The following list contains some of
the most common abbreviations found in medical records. Please note that in
medical terminology, the capitalization of letters bears significance as to the
meaning of certain terms, and is often used to distinguish terms with similar
acronyms.
o
A & P —anatomy
and physiology
o
Ab —abortion
o
Abd —abdominal
o
ABG —arterial
blood gas
o
a.c. —before
meals
o
ac & cl —acetest
and clinitest
o
ACLS —advanced
cardiac life support
o
AD —right
ear
o
ADL —activities
of daily living
o
ad lib —as
desired
o
adm —admission
o
afeb —afebrile,
no fever
o
AFB —acid-fast
bacillus
o
AKA —above
the knee
o
Alb —albumin
o
alt dieb —alternate
days (every other day)
o
am —morning
o
AMA —against
medical advice
o
Amal —amalgam
o
Amb —ambulate,
walk
o
AMI —acute
myocardial infarction
o
ANS —automatic
nervous system
o
Ant —anterior
o
AOx3 —alert
and oriented to person, time, and place
o
Ap —apical
o
AP —apical
pulse
o
Approx —approximately
o
Aq —aqueous
o
ARDS —acute
respiratory distress syndrome
o
AS —left
ear
o
ASA —aspirin
o
asap (ASAP) —as
soon as possible
o
as tol —as
tolerated
o
AT D —admission,
transfer, discharge
o
AU —both
ears
o
Ax —axillary
o
BE —barium
enema
o
Bid —twice
a day
o
bil, bilateral —both
sides
o
BK —below
knee
o
BKA —below the knee amputation
o
Bl —blood
o
bl wk —blood
work
o
BLS —basic
life support
o
BM —bowel
movement
o
BOW —bag
of waters
o
B/P —blood
pressure
o
Bpm —beats
per minute
o
BR —bed
rest
o
BRP —bathroom
privileges
o
BS —breath
sounds
o
BSI —body
substance isolation
o
BSO —bilateral
salpingo-oophorectomy
o
BUN —blood,
urea, nitrogen levels
o
BVM —bag-valve-mask
o
Bx —biopsy
o
C & S —culture
and sensitivity
o
c-spine —cervical
spine
o
CA —cancer
o
CAD —coronary
artery disease
o
Cal —calorie
o
CAT —computerized
axial tomography
o
Cath —catheter
o
CBC —complete
blood count
o
Cc —cubic
centimeters
o
CC —chief
complaint
o
CCU —coronary
care unit, critical care unit
o
CHD —coronary
heart disease
o
CHF —congestive
heart failure
o
CHO —carbohydrate
o
Chol —cholesterol
o
Circ —circumcision
o
cl liq —clear
liquid
o
CNS —central
nervous sysyem
o
c/o —complains
of
o
COPD —chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease
o
CPK —creatine
phosphokinase
o
CPR —cardiopulmonary
resuscitation
o
CPT —chest
physical therapy
o
CS —central
supply
o
CSF —cerebrospinal
fluid
o
CT —computer
tomography
o
CVA —cerebrovascular
accident (stroke)
o
CVU —cardiovascular
unit
o
Cx —cervix
or complaint of
o
CXR —chest
X ray
o
Cysto —cystography
o
d/c —discontinue
o
D & C —dilation
and curettage
o
DAT —diet
as tolerated
o
DC —discontinue
or discharge
o
Del —delivery
o
Del. Rm. —delivery
room
o
Diff —differential
o
DNA —deoxyribonucleic
acid
o
DNR —do
not resuscitate
o
DOA —dead
on arrival
o
DOB —date
of birth
o
DPT —diphtheria,
pertussis, tetanus
o
DRG —diagnosis-related
grouping
o
D/S —dextrose
in saline
o
DT’s —delirium
tremens
o
DW —distilled
water
o
D5W 5% — dextrose
in water
o
Dx —diagnosis
o
EBL —estimated
blood loss
o
ECG —electrocardiogram
o
ED —emergency
department
o
EEG —electroencephalogram
o
EENT —eyes,
ears, nose, throat
o
EKG —electrocardiogram
o
EMG —electromyogram
o
EOA —esophageal
obturator airway
o
ESR —erythrocyte
sedimentation rate
o
Est —estimated
o
ER —emergency
room
o
ET —endotracheal
o
ETA —estimated
time of arrival
o
Etiol —etiology
o
ETOH —ethyl
alcohol, intoxicated
o
Exam —examination
o
Exp —exploratory
o
Ext —external,
extract, extraction
o
FBOA —foreign
body obstructed airway
o
FBS —fasting
blood sugar
o
FBW —fasting
blood work
o
FF (F. Fl) —force
fluids
o
FH —family
history
o
FHS —fetal
heart sounds
o
FHT —fetal
heart tone
o
FIFO —first
in, first out
o
FSH —follicle-stimulating
hormone
o
Ft —foot
o
FUO —fever
of undetermined origin
o
Fx —fracture
o
GB —gallbladder
o
GI —gastrointestinal
o
GU —genitourinary
o
GTT —glucose
tolerance test (pancreas test)
o
gtt(s) —drop(s)
o
gyn —gynecology
o
H & H —hemoglobin
and hematocrit
o
HCG —human
chorionic gonadotrophin
o
Hct —hematocrit
o
HDL —high-density
lipoprotein
o
Hgb —hemoglobin
o
HOB —head
of bed
o
hr (h) —hour
o
HIV —human
immunodeficiency virus
o
H&P —history
and physical
o
HR —heart
rate
o
Hs —hour
of sleep, bedtime
o
Ht —height
o
Hx —history
o
Hypo —hypodermic
injection
o
Hyst —hysterectomy
o
IBS —irritable
bowel syndrome
o
I & D —incision
and drainage
o
I & O —intake
and output
o
ICP —intracranial
pressure
o
ICU —intensive
care unit
o
IM —intramuscular
o
Ing —inguinal
o
Inj —injection
o
IPPB —intermittent
positive pressure breathing
o
Irrig —irrigation
o
IS —intercostal
space
o
Isol —isolation
o
IT —inhalation
therapy
o
IUD —intrauterine
device
o
IV —intravenous
o
IVF —in
vitro fertilization
o
IVP —intravenous
pyelogram
o
K+ —potassium
o
KCl —potassuim
chloride
o
KUB —kidney,
ureter, bladder
o
L —lumbar
o
L & D —labor
and delivery
o
Lac —laceration
o
Lab —laboratory
o
Lap —laparotomy
o
Lat —lateral
o
LD —lethal
dose
o
LDH —lactic
dehydrogenase
o
LDL —low-density
lipoprotein
o
Liq —liquid
o
LLQ, LLL —left
lower quadrant (abdomen), lobe (lung)
o
LMP —last
menstrual period
o
LOC —level
of consciousness
o
LP —lumbar
puncture
o
Lt —left
o
LUQ, LUL —left
upper quadrant (abdomen), lobe (lung)
o
MA —mental
age
o
MAST —medical
antishock trousers
o
MCI —mass
casualty incident
o
Meds —medications
o
MI —myocardial
infarction
o
MICU —mobile
intensive care unit
o
Min —minute
o
MN —midnight
o
MOM —milk
of magnesia
o
MRI —magnetic
resonance imagery
o
MS —morphine
sulfate, multiple sclerosis
o
MVA —motor
vehicle accident
o
NVD —nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea
o
Na+ —sodium
o
NaCl —sodium
chloride
o
N/C —nasal
cannula
o
No —complaints
o
Neg —negative
o
Neuro —neurology
o
NG —nasogastric
o
NGT —nasogastric
tube
o
Nitro —nitroglycerine
o
NKA —no
known allergies
o
noc (t) —night
o
NPO —nothing
by mouth
o
NS —normal
saline
o
Nsg —nursing
o
NSR —normal
sinus rhythm
o
NVS —neurological
vital signs
o
OB —obstetrics
o
OD —right eye, overdose
o
Oint —ointment
o
OOB —out of bed
o
OPD —outpatient department
o
OR —operating room
o
Ord —orderly
o
ORTH —orthopedics
o
Ortho —correct, right (bones)
o
Os —mouth
o
OS —left eye
o
OT —occupational therapy
o
OU —both eyes
o
Oz —ounce
o
P —after
o
P —pulse
o
P & A —percussion and auscultation
o
PAC —premature atrial contraction
o
Palp —palpation
o
PA R —post-anesthesia room
o
PAT —paroxysmal atrial tachycardia
o
Pc —after meals
o
pCO2 —partial pressure of carbon
dioxide
o
PDR —physician’s desk reference
o
PE —physical exam, pulmonary
embolism
o
PEDS —pediatrics
o
PERL(A) —pupils
equal and reactive to light (and accommodation)
o
PET —positron emission tomography
o
PH —past history
o
pH —hydrogen ion concentration
o
PID —pelvic inflammatory disease
o
PKU —phenylketonuria
o
Pm —between noon and midnight
o
PNS —peripheral nervous system
o
Po —by mouth
o
post (pos) —posterior
o
postop, PostOp —–postoperative
o
pp (p.p.) —postprandial
(after eating)
o
pO2 —partial pressure of oxygen
o
PPD —purified protein derivative (TB
test)
o
preop, PreOp —before
surgery
o
prn —as needed, whenever necessary
o
pro time —prothrombin
time
o
pt —patient, pint
o
PT —physical therapy
o
PTT —partial prothrombaplastin time
o
PVC —premature ventricular
contraction
o
Px —physical exam, prognosis
o
Q —every
o
Qd —every day
o
Qh —every hour
o
q2h, q3h, ... —every
two hours, every three hours, ...
o
qhs —every night at bedtime
o
qid —four times a day
o
qns —quantity not sufficient
o
qod —every other day
o
qs —quantity sufficient
o
r (R) —rectal
o
R (resp) —respirations, rectal
o
RAIU —radioactive iodine uptake study
o
RBC —red blood cell/count
o
Reg —regular
o
Rh —rhesus
o
RK —radial
keratomy
o
RL —ringer’s
lactate
o
RLQ, RLL —right
lower quadrant (abdomen), lobe (lung)
o
RML —right
middle lobe (lung)
o
RO —reality
orientation
o
R/O —rule
out
o
ROM —range
of motion
o
R.R. —recovery
room
o
RUQ, RLL —right
upper quadrant, lobe
o
Rt —right
o
RV —residual
volume
o
Rx —take
(prescription)
o
S —without
o
S & S —signs
and symptoms
o
Ss —1/2
o
Sats —oxygen/blood
saturation level
o
SA —sinoatrial
o
SB —small
bowel
o
Sc —subcutaneous
o
SGOT —serum
glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase
o
SGPT —serum
glutamic pyruvic transaminase
o
SIDS —sudden
infant death syndrome
o
Sig: —label/write
o
SL —sublingual
o
SMAC —sequential
multiple analysis computer
o
SOB —shortness
of breath
o
Spec —specimen
o
sp. gr. —specific
gravity
o
SQ, sub q —subcutaneous
o
SSE —soap
suds enema
o
Stat —immediately
o
STD —sexually
transmitted disease
o
STH —somatotropic
hormone
o
SVD —spontaneous
vaginal delivery
o
SVN —small
volume nebulizer
o
SVT —supraventricular
tachycardia
o
Sx —symptoms
o
T —temperature,
thoracic
o
T & A —tonsillectomy
and adenoidectomy
o
Tab —tablet
o
tachy –tachycardic
o
TA H —total
abdominal hysterectomy
o
TB —tuberculosis
o
TCDB —turn,
cough, deep breath
o
temp (T) —temperature
o
TH —thyroid
hormone
o
TIA —transient
ischemic attack
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