MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY ABBREVIATION LIST
NOTE: These abbreviations may appear with or without periods and either CAPITAL or lower case letters may be
used.
MISCELLANEOUS ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE HEALTH CARE FIELD (parenthesized ( ) terms are derived
from latin phrases):
a.c.
ADL
b.i.d.
before meals (ante cibum)
activities of daily living
twice a day (bis in die)
c
CCU
DOA
DOB
DRG
Dx
ECF
ER
FH
h/o
HPI
h.s.
hx
OR
p.o.
PH
p/o; postop
preop
p.r.n.
PTA
q
qam
qd
qhs
qid
qod
r/o
ROS
Rx
_
s
with
coronary care unit
dead on arrival
date of birth
diagnosis-related group
diagnosis
extended-care facility
emergency room
family history
history of
history of present illness
at bedtime (hora somni)
history
operating room
by mouth (per os)
past history
postoperative
preoperative
as required (pro re nata)
prior to admission
each; every
every morning
every day (quaque die)
each bedtime (quaque hora somni)
four times daily (quarter in die)
every other day
rule out
review of systems
treatment; therapy; prescription
without
stat
tid
TPR
Tx
VS
y/o
immediately
3 times daily (ter in die)
temperature pulse respiration
traction; treatment
vital signs
year old
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:
abd
BaE
BMR
DM
GI
IBD
LFTs
NG tube
NPO
TPN
UGI
abdomen
barium enema
basal metabolic rate
diabetes mellitus
gastrointestinal
inflammatory bowel disease
liver function tests
nasogastric tube
nothing by mouth (nulla per os)
total parenteral nutrition
upper gastrointestinal
URINARY SYSTEM:
ARF
BUN
CRF
C&S
cysto
IVP
HD
KUB
pH
sp. gr.
U/A
UTI
acute renal failure
blood urea nitrogen
chronic renal failure
culture and sensitivity
cystoscopic examination
intravenous pyelogram
hemodialysis
kidney, ureter, bladder
symbol for degree of acidity or alkalinity
specific gravity
urinalysis
urinary tract infection
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
ab
C-section; CS
CVS
D&C
ERT
Grav (1,2,3, etc.)
GYN
HCG, hCG
IUD
IVF
LMP
NB
OB
Para (1,2,3, etc.)
Pap smear
PID
PMS
STDs
abortion
Cesarean section
chorionic villus sampling
dilation and curettage
estrogen replacement therapy
number of pregnancies
gynecology
human chorionic gonadotropin
intrauterine device
in vitro fertilization (vitre/o = glass)
last menstrual period
newborn
obstetrics
number of live births
Papanicolaou’s smear
pelvic inflammatory disease
premenstrual syndrome
sexually transmitted diseases
MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM:
BPH
GC
GU
PSA
TUR; TURP
VDRL
HSV
benign prostatic hyperplasia (hypertrophy)
gonorrhea
genitourinary
prostate specific antigen
transurethral resection of prostate
veneral disease research laboratory
herpes simplex virus
NERVOUS SYSTEM:
Ach
AD
ALS
ANS
CNS
CSF
CP
CVA
EEG
HD
LP
MS
TIA
acetylcholine
Alzheimer disease
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
autonomic nervous system
central nervous system
cerebrospinal fluid
cerebral palsy
cerebrovascular accident
electroencephalogram
Huntington Disease
lumbar puncture
multiple sclerosis
transient ischemic attack
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM:
ASHD
A-V
BP
CABG
CAD
CHF
CPK
ECG; EKG
HDL
LDH
LDL
MI
MVP
PAC
PVC
S-A node
tPA
troponin T
VLDL
arteriosclerotic heart disease
atrioventricular
blood pressure
coronary artery bypass graft
coronary artery disease
congestive heart failure
creatine phosphokinase
electrocardiogram
high-density lipoprotein
lactate dehydrogenase
low-density lipoprotein
myocardial infarction
mitral valve prolapse
premature atrial contraction
premature ventricular contraction
sinoatrial node
tissue plasminogen activator
protein in cardiac muscle cells
very-low-density lipoprotein
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM:
ABG
AFB
ARDS
CF
COPD
CPR
DOE
RDS
PCP
PPD
SOB
TB
URI
arterial blood gases
acid-fast bacilli
acute respiratory distress syndrome
cystic fibrosis
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
dyspnea on exertion
respiratory distress syndrome
pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
purified protein derivative
shortness of breath
tuberculosis
upper respiratory infection
BLOOD SYSTEM:
ABO
bld.
CBC
ESR; sed rate
Hb; Hgb
Hct
H&H
MCH
MCHC
MCV
PT
PTT
RBC
WBC
three main blood groups
blood
complete blood count
erythrocyte sedimentation rate
hemoglobin
hematocrit
hemoglobin and hematocrit
mean corpuscular hemoglobin
mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
mean corpuscular volume
prothrombin
partial thromboplastin time
red blood cell count
white blood cell count
LYMPHATIC AND IMMUNE SYSTEMS:
AIDS
ELISA
HIV
HSV
IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, IgM
KS
NK
PCP
T4
T8
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
human immunodeficiency virus
herpes simplex virus
immunoglobulins
Kaposi sarcoma
natural killer cells
pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
helper T cell lymphocyte
cytoxic or killer T cell lymphocyte
MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM:
C1, C2, etc.
Ca
EMG
Fx
IM
inj
jt
L1, L2, etc.
Ortho.
ROM
T1, T2, etc.
cervical vertebrae
calcium
electromyography
fracture
intramuscular
injection
joint
lumbar vertebrae
orthopedics
range of motion
thoracic vertebrae
SKIN:
bx
Derm
subcu; subq
biopsy
dermatology
subcutaneous
SENSE ORGANS: EYE AND EAR:
D
Em
OD
Ophth
OS
OU
PERRLA
VA
VF
AC
AD
AS
BC
EENT
ENT
Oto
diopter (lens strength)
emmetropia (normal vision)
right eye
ophthalmology
left eye
each eye
pupils equal, round, react to light and accomodation
visual acuity
visual field
air conduction
right ear
left ear
bone conduction
eyes, ears, nose, throat
ear, nose, throat
otology
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM:
ACTH
ADH
BMR
FSH
GH
IDDM
LH
MSH
NIDDM
PRL
PTH
RIA
T3
T4
TSH
adrenocorticotropic hormone
antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin)
basal metabolic rate
follicle-stimulating hormone
growth hormone
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Type I diabetes
luteinizing hormone
melanocyte-stimulating hormone
non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Type 2 diabetes
prolactin
parathyroid hormone
radioimmunoassay; measures hormones in blood
triiodothyronine
thyroxine
thyroid-stimulating hormone
ONCOLOGY:
bx
Ca
CIS
DNA
mets
Path
TNM
biopsy
cancer
carcinoma in situ
deoxyribonucleic acid
metastases
pathology
tumor, nodes, metastasis
RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE, RADIATION THERAPY:
AP
CAT
CT
CXR
DSA
LAT
MRI
NMR
PA
PET
SPECT
anteroposterior
computerized axial tomography
computed tomography
chest x-ray
digital subtraction angiography
lateral
magnetic resonance imaging
nuclear magnetic resonance
posteroanterior
positron emission tomography
single-photon emission computed tomography
PSYCHIATRY:
ADHD
DT
ECT
IQ
MMPI
psy, psych
SAD
TAT
WAIS
WISC
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
delirium tremens
electroconvulsive therapy
intelligence quotient
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
psychiatry
seasonal affective disorder
thematic apperception test
Wechsler adult intelligence scale
Wechsler intelligence scale for children
MEDICAL LABORATORY:
ABG
AFP
ALP
ALT (SGPT)
AST (SGOT)
ANA
BUN
FBS
GTT
PaCO2; pCO2
PaO2; pO2
CPK
LDH
++
Ca
Cl
HCO3
+
K
+
Na
P
PKU
troponin T
arterial blood gases
alpha-fetoprotein
alkaline phosphatase
enzyme test for liver function
enzyme test for liver function
antinuclear antibody
blood urea nitrogen
fasting blood sugar
glucose tolerance test
partial pressure of carbon dioxide
partial pressure of oxygen
enzyme test for cardiac damage
enzyme test for cardiac damage
calcium
chlorine
bicarbonate
kalium, latin for potassium
natrium, latin for sodium
phosphorous
phenylketonuria
protein test for cardiac damage