Medical Shorthand
The following list of notations are typical “shorthand,” both verbal as well as written, in
the medical field. These are taken predominantly from what medical professionals use for
chart notation; they loan themselves well to being used as fingerspelled loan signs. Again
this list is not exhaustive as should be used as a primer.
AB
ABO
Ag
ABG
ACTH
ACM
AMA
AMS
A&O x…
A&P
b.i.d.
BP
BPH
BUN
Bx
BZ or BZD
C
CA
Ca
CAD
CBC
CC
CHF
CHOL
CIS
CNS
C/o
COPD
CSF
CVA
CXR
DC
DM
IDDM
NIDDM
DOB
Dx
ECG/EKG
Antibody/Antibiotic
Three major blood types
Antigen
Arterial Blood Gas
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
Acetominaphen
Against Medical Advice
Altered mental status
Alert/ Oriented x (1, 2, 3)
Auscultation & Percussion
2ce daily
Blood pressure
Benign prostatic hypertrophy
Blood Urea Nitrogen
biopsy
Benzodiazipines
Carbon
Cancer
Calcium
Coronary Artery Dz (disease)
Complete blood count
Chief complaint
Congestive Heart Failure
Cholesterol
Carcinoma in situ
Central Nervous System
Complains of
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
Chest X Ray
Discontinue/discharge
Diabetes Mellitus
Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Date of Birth
Diagnosis
Elecrocardiogram
EEG
EGD
ENT
ESR
Febrile
Fe
FH
F/u
5FU
FUO
Fx
GC
GI
Gravida
H
Hb/Hbg/Hgb
HCO3
HCT
HEENT
Hg
H/o
Hx
I
Ig
I/O
IUD
IV
IM
K
KUB
LLE
HR
LLQ
LMP
LOC
LUE
LUQ
MCV
Mg
Mm Hg
MSE
MI
M&M
MVP
N
Na
Electroencephalogram
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
Ear, nose, throat
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Having a temperature
Iron
Family History
Follow up
5-Flourocile (for Ca tx)
Fever of Unknown origin
Fracture
Gonorrhea
Gastrointestinal
Pregnancies
Hydrogen
Hemoglobin
Bicarbonate
Hematocrit
Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Throat
Mercury
History of
History
Iodine
Immunoglobulin
Input/output (re: fluids)
Intrauterine device
Intravenous
Intramuscular
Potassium
Kidney Ureter Bladder
Left lower extremety
Heart rate
Left lower quadrant
Last menstrual period
Loss of Consciousness
Left Upper extremity
Left Upper Quadrant
Mean corpuscular volume
Magnesium
millimeters of Mercury
Mental status exam
Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
Morbidity & mortality
Mitral Valve prolapse
Nitrogen
Sodium
NG
NKA/NKDA
NPO
NS
NTG
O2
P
PE
PERRLA
PID
PUD
PCOD
p.o.
PRN
pt
Px
q.
RBC
R/o
ROM
ROS
RR
Rx
SBO
SC
Sub q
SLE
SOAP
SOB
S/P
S/S
Sx
T
TAH(BSO)
TNM
TIA
Tx
U/A
U/S
UTI
V/S
WBC
WNL
Y/O
X
nasogastric
No Known Allergies/No Known Drug Allergies
Non per os (“nothing by mouth”)
Normal saline
Nitroglycerine
Oxygen
Pulse
Physical Exam OR Pulmonary Embollism
Pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation
Pelvic Inflammatory Dz
Peptic ulcer dz
Polycystic Ovary dz
per os (‘by mouth”)
as needed
patient
Prognosis
Every
Red blood cells
Rule out
Range of Motion
Review of systems
Respiration rate
Perscription
Small bowel obstruction
Subcutaneous
Subcutaneous
Lupus
Type of chart notation: Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan
Shortness of Breath
Status post
Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms
Temp
Total abdominal hysterectomy (with bilateral salpingioopherectomy)
Tumor, Nodes, Metastesis
Transient Ischemic Attack
Treatment
Urinalysis
Ultrasound
Urinary tract infection
Vital Signs
White blood count
Within Normal Limits
years old
times