MEDICAL ABBREVIATIONS
Here is the list of commonly used medical abbreviations which is definitely gonna help you in understanding the terms used by medical professionals especially in prescriptions given by doctors or pharmacists as well as many abbreviations are used in the Investigation Forms that has to be performed in the diagnostic laboratories. By this, you can easily understand what do they exactly mean and serve better to the patients…
| ABBREVIATIONS | MEANING |
|---|---|
| A&P | Anatomy and |
| Physiology | |
| abd | Abdomen |
| ABG | Arterial Blood Gas |
| ac | Before Meals |
| ACLS | Advanced Cardiac Life Support |
| ad lib | As much as desired |
| ADL | Activity of Daily Living |
| AED | Automated External Defibrillator |
| AF | Atrial Fibrillation |
| AIDS | Acquired Immunodeficiency |
| Syndrome | |
| AK | Above the Knee |
| AKA | Above the Knee Amputation |
| A-line | Arterial Line |
| AMA | Against Medical Advice |
| amb | Ambulatory |
| AMI | Acute Myocardial Infarction |
| AMS | Altered Mental Status |
| ant | Anterior |
| AO × 4 | Alert and Oriented to Person, |
| Place, Time, and Self | |
| AP | Anteroposterior, |
front-to-back,
action potential,
angina pectoris,
anterior pituitary,
arterial pressure|
|APC|Atrial Premature Complex,
Activated Protein C, aspirinphenacetin-caffeine|
|Aq|Water|
|ARDS|Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome|
|ASA|Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid)|
|ASAP|As Soon As Possible|
|ASHD|Arteriosclerotic or
Atherosclerotic Heart Disease|
|AV, A-V|Atrioventricular, Arteriovenous|
|BBB|Bundle Branch Block|
|Bid|Twice Daily|
|BKA|Below the Knee Amputation|
|BM|Bowel Movement|
|BP|Blood Pressure|
|BS|Blood Sugar, Breath Sounds,
Bowel Sounds|
|BSA|Body Surface Area|
|bx|Biopsy|
|Ca|Calcium|
|CA|Cancer,
Cardiac Arrest,
Chronologic Age,
Coronary Artery,
Cold Agglutinin|
|CABG|Coronary Artery Bypass Graft|
|CAD|Coronary Artery Disease|
|CBC|Complete Blood Count|
|cc|Cubic Centimeter|
|CC or C/C|Chief Complaint|
|CCU|Coronary Care Unit|
|CHF|Congestive Heart Failure|
|CNS|Central Nervous System|
|c/o|Complaining of|
|COLD|Chronic Obstructive
Lung Disease|
|COPD|Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease|
|CP|Chest Pain, Chemically Pure, Cerebral Palsy|
|CPR|Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation|
|CRNA|Certified Registered
Nurse Anesthetist|
|CRT|Capillary Refill Time|
|CSF|Cerebrospinal Fluid|
|CSM|Carotid Sinus Massage,
Cerebrospinal
Meningitis|
|CVA|Cerebrovascular Accident|
|CVP|Central Venous Pressure|
|CXR|Chest X-Ray|
|D&C|Dilation and Curettage|
|D/C|Discontinue|
|DM|Diabetes Mellitus|
|DOA|Dead On Arrival|
|DOE|Dyspnea on Exertion|
|DON|Director of Nursing|
|DPT|Diphtheria, Pertussis,
and Tetanus toxoids
vaccine|
|DSD|Dry Sterile Dressing|
|DtaP|Diphtheria, Tetanus
toxoids, and Acellular
Pertussis vaccine|
|DTP|Diphtheria, Tetanus
toxoids, and Pertussis
vaccine|
|DVT|Deep Venous Thrombosis|
|Dx|Diagnosis|
|ECG|Electrocardiogram|
|ED|Emergency Department|
|ENT|Ears, Nose, and Throat|
|ER|Emergency Room|
|ET|Endotracheal Tube,
Endotracheal|
|ETA|Estimated Time of Arrival|
|ETT|Endotracheal Tube|
|FBS|Fasting Blood Sugar|
|FHR|Fetal Heart Rate|
|FHT|Fetal Heart Tones|
|FHx|Family History|
|fld|Fluid|
|fx|Fracture|
|GB|Gallbladder|
|GI|Gastrointestinal|
|GSW|Gunshot Wound|
|GTT|Glucose Tolerance Test|
|GU|Genitourinary|
|Gyn|Gynecology|
|H&H|Hemoglobin and
Hematocrit|
|H&P|History and Physical|
|H/A|Headache|
|Hct|Hematocrit|
|Hgb|Hemoglobin|
|HH|Hiatal Hernia|
|HIV|Human Immunodeficiency Virus|
|HPI|History of present
Illness|
|Hs|At Bedtime|
|HTN|Hypertension|
|Hx|History|
IC Intracardiac,
Inspiratory capacity,
Irritable colon
ICP Intracranial Pressure
ICU Intensive Care Unit
IDDM Insulin-Dependent
Diabetes Mellitus
IM Intramuscular
IPPB Intermittent Positive
Pressure Breathing
IUD Intrauterine
(Contraceptive) Device
IV Intravenous
JVD Jugular Venous Distention
KUB Kidneys, Ureters, and Bladder
KVO Keep Vein Open
LAC Laceration,
Laparoscopic Assisted Colectomy
LE Lower Extremity,
Left Eye,
Lupus Erythematosus
LLL Left Lower Lobe of the Lung
LLQ Left Lower Quadrant of the Abdomen
LMP Last Menstrual Period
LOC Level of Consciousness,
Loss of
Consciousness
LPN Licensed Practical Nurse
LR Lactated Ringer’s
LUL Left Upper Lobe of the Lung
LUQ Left Upper Quadrant of the Abdomen
LVN Licensed Vocational Nurse
MAE Moves all extremities
MAEW Moves All Extremities Well
MAP Mean Arterial Pressure
MCL Midclavicular Line, Modified Chest Lead
MI Myocardial Infarction
MICU Mobile Intensive Care Unit,
Medical Intensive Care Unit
MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MVA Motor Vehicle Accident
MVC Motor Vehicle Crash
MVP Mitral Valve Prolapse
NAD No Apparent Distress, No Appreciable Disease
NC Nasal Cannula
NG Nasogastric
NICU Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
NIDDM non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
NKDA No Known Drug Allergies
NPA Nasopharyngeal Airway
NS Normal Saline
NSR Normal Sinus Rhythm
N/V Nausea and Vomiting
N/V/D Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhea
OBS Organic Brain Syndrome
OD Overdose,
Right Eye,
Optical Density,
Outside Diameter,
Doctor of Optometry
OPA Oropharyngeal Airway
OS Left Eye
OU Both Eyes
PE Pulmonary Embolism,
Physical Examination
PEA Pulseless Electrical Activity
PEARL Pupils Equal and Reactive to Light
PEEP Positive end Expiratory
Pressure
PERRL Pupils Equal, Round, and Reactive to Light
PID Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
PND Paroxysmal Nocturnal
Dyspnea
PSVT Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia
PTA Prior to admission,
Plasma Thromboplastin Antecedent
PTT Partial Thromboplastin Time
PVC Premature Ventricular
Complex
PVD Peripheral Vascular Disease
RA Rheumatoid Arthritis,
Right Atrium
RAD Reactive Airway Disease,
Right Axis Deviation
RBC Red Blood Cell
Rh Rhesus blood factor
RHD Rheumatic Heart Disease
RLL Right Lower Lobe of the Lung
RLQ Right Lower Quadrant of the Abdomen
RUL Right Upper Lobe of the Lung
RUQ Right Upper Quadrant of the Abdomen
Rx Prescription
SC Subcutaneous,
Secretory component
SICU Surgical Intensive Care Unit
SIDS Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome
SL Sublingual
SOB Shortness of Breath
S/S Signs and Symptoms
STD Sexually Transmitted
Disease
SVT Supraventricular Tachycardia
Sx Symptoms
tab Tablet
TB Tuberculosis
TBA To be Admitted, To be
Announced
Tech Technician,
Technologist
TIA Transient Ischemic
Attack
TPR Temperature, Pulse,
Respiration
Tx Treatment
UA Urinalysis
UE Upper Extremity
URI Upper Respiratory
Infection
UTI Urinary Tract Infection
VD Venereal Disease
VS Vital Signs
WNL Within Normal Limits
w/o Without