Medical Terminology
Abbreviations
Miscellaneous
Abbreviations Used
In the Health Care
Field
a.c.
Before meals (ante cibum)
ADL
Activities of daily living
b.i.d.
Twice a day (bis in die)
_
c
with
CCU
Coronary care unit
DOA
Dead on arrival
DOB
Date of birth
DRG
Diagnosis-related group
Dx
Diagnosis
ECF
Extended-care facility
ER
Emergency room
FH
Family history
h/o
History of
HPI
History of present illness
h.s.
At bedtime (hora somni)
hx
history
OR
Operating room
p.o.
By mouth (per os)
PH
Past history
p/o; postop
Post operative
preop
Pre operative
p.r.n.
As required (pro re nata)
PTA
Prior to admission
q
Each; every
qam
Every morning
qd
Every day (quaque die)
qhs
Each bedtime
(quaque hora somni)
qid
Four times daily
(quarter in die)
qod
Every other day
r/o
Rule out
ROS
Review of symptoms
Rx
Treatment; therapy;
prescription
_
s
without
stat
Immediately
tid
3 times daily (ter in die)
TPR
Temperature pulse
respiration
Tx
Traction; treatment
VS
Vital signs
y/o
Year old
Abbreviations
Associated With the
Digestive System
abd
abdomen
BaE
Barium enema
BMR
Basal metabolic rate
DM
Diabetes mellitus
GI
gastrointestinal
IBD
Inflammatory bowel
disease
LFTs
Liver function tests
NG tube
Nasogastric tube
NPO
Nothing by mouth
(nulla per os)
TPN
Total parenteral nutrition
UGI
Upper gastrointestinal
Abbreviations
Associated With the
Urinary System
ARF
Acute renal failure
BUN
Blood urea nitrogen
CRF
Chronic renal failure
C&S
Culture and sensitivity
cysto
Cystoscopic examination
IVP
Intravenous pyelogram
HD
hemodialysis
KUB
Kidney, ureter, bladder
pH
Symbol for degree of
acidity or alkalinity
sp. gr.
Specific gravity
U/A
urinalysis
UTI
Urinary tract infection
Abbreviations
Associated With the
Female
Reproductive
System
ab
abortion
C-section; CS
Cesarean section
CVS
Chronic villus sampling
D&C
Dilation and curettage
ERT
Estrogen replacement
therapy
Grav
(1, 2, 3, etc.)
Number of pregnancies
GYN
gynecology
HCG, hCG
Human chorionic
gonadotropin
IUD
Intrauterine device
IVF
In vitro fertilization
(vitre/o = glass)
LMP
Last menstrual period
NB
newborn
OB
obstetrics
Para
(1, 2, 3, etc.)
Numbers of live births
Pap smear
Papanicolaou’s smear
PID
Pelvic inflammatory
disease
PMS
Premenstrual syndrome
STDs
Sexually transmitted
diseases
Abbreviations
Associated With the
Male Reproductive
System
BPH
Benign prostatic
hyperplasia (hypertrophy)
GC
genitourinary
PSA
Prostate specific antigen
TUR, TURP
Transurethral resection of
prostate
VDRL
Venereal disease research
lab
HSV
Herpes simplex virus
Abbreviations
Associated With the
Nervous System
Ach
acetylcholine
AD
Alzheimer disease
ALS
Amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis
ANS
Autonomic nervous system
CNS
Central nervous system
CSF
Cerebrospinal fluid
CP
Cerebral palsy
CVA
Cerebrovascular accident
EEG
electroencephalogram
HD
Huntington disease
LP
Lumbar puncture
MS
multiple sclerosis
TIA
transient ischemic attack
Abbreviations
Associated With
The Cardiovascular
System
ASHD
arteriosclerotic heart
disease
A-V
atrioventricular
BP
blood pressure
CABG
coronary artery bypass
graft
CAD
coronary artery disease
CHF
congestive heart failure
CPK
creatine phosphokinase
ECG; EKG
electrocardiogram
HDL
high-density lipoprotein
LDH
lactate dehydrogenase
LDL
low-density lipoprotein
MI
myocardial infarction
MVP
mitral valve prolapse
PAC
PVC
premature ventricular
contraction
S-A node
sinoatrial node
tPA
tissue plasminogen
activator
troponin T
protein in cardiac
muscle cells
VLDL
very-low-density
lipoprotein
Abbreviations
Associated With
The Respiratory
System
ABG
arterial blood gases
AFB
acid-fast bacilli
ARDS
acute respiratory
distress syndrome
CF
cystic fibrosis
COPD
chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease
CPR
cardiopulmonary
resusicitation
DOE
dyspnea on exertion
RDS
respiratory distress
syndrome
PCP
pneumocystis carinii
pneumonia
PPD
purified protein derivative
SOB
shortness of breath
TB
tuberculosis
URI
upper respiratory infection
Abbreviations
Associated With
The Blood System
ABO
three main blood groups
bld.
blood
CBC
complete blood count
ESR; sed rate
erythrocyte
sedimentation rate
Hb; Hgb
hemoglobin
Hct
hematocrit
H&H
hemoglobin and
hematocrit
MCH
mean corpuscular
hemoglobin
MCHC
mean corpuscular
hemoglobin concentration
MCV
mean corpuscular volume
PT
prothrombin
PTT
partial
thromboplastin time
RBC
red blood cell count
WBC
white blood cell count
Abbreviations
Associated With
The Lymphatic and
Immune Systems
AIDS
acquired
immunodeficiency
syndrome
ELISA
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay
HIV
Human
immunodeficiency virus
HSV
herpes simplex virus
lgA, lgD, lgE,
lgG, lgM
immunoglobins
KS
Kaposi sarcoma
NK
natural killer cells
PCP
pneuomocystis
carinii pneumonia
T4
helper T cell lymphocyte
T8
cytoxic or killer
T cell lymphocyte
Abbreviations
Associated With
The Musculoskeletal
System
C1, C2, etc.
cervical vertebrae
Ca
calcium
EMG
electromyography
Fx
fracture
IM
intramuscular
Inj.
injection
jt
joint
L1, L2, etc.
lumbar vertebrae
Ortho.
orthopedics
ROM
range of motion
T1, T2, etc.
thoracic vertebrae
Abbreviations
Associated With
The Skin
bx
biopsy
Derm.
dermatology
subcu; subq
subcutaneous
Abbreviations
Associated With
The Sense Organs:
Eye and Ear
D
diopter (lens strength)
Em
emmetropia
(normal vision)
OD
right eye
Ophth.
ophthalmology
OS
left eye
OU
each eye
PERRLA
pupils equal, round, react
to light and accomodation
VA
visual acuity
VF
visual field
AC
air conduction
AD
right ear
AS
left ear
BC
bone conduction
EENT
eyes, ears, nose, throat
ENT
ear, nose, throat
Oto
otology
Abbreviations
Associated With
The Endocrine
System
ACTH
adrenocorticotropic
hormone
ADH
antidiuretic hormone
(vasopressin)
BMR
basal metabolic rate
FSH
follicle-stimulating
hormone
GH
growth hormone
IDDM
Insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus; Type 1
diabetes
LH
lutenizing hormone
MSH
melanocyte-stimulating
hormone
NIDDM
non insulin-dependent
diabetes mellitus; Type 2
diabetes
PRL
prolactin
PTH
parathyroid hormone
RIA
radioimmunoassay;
measure hormones in
blood
T3
triiodothyronine
T4
thyroxine
TSH
thyroid-stimulating
hormone
Abbreviations
Associated With
Oncology
bx
biopsy
Ca
cancer
CIS
carcinoma in situ
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid
mets
metastases
Path.
pathology
TNM
tumor, nodes, metastases
Abbreviations
Associated With
Radiology, nuclear
Medicine, and
Radiation Therapy
AP
anteroposterior
CAT
computerized
axial tomography
CT
computed tomography
CXR
chest x-ray
DSA
digital
subtraction angiography
LAT
lateral
MRI
magnetic
resonance imaging
NMR
nuclear
magnetic resonance
PA
posteroanterior
PET
positron emission
tomography
SPECT
Single-photon emission
computed tomography
Abbreviations
Associated With
Psychiatry
ADHD
attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder
DT
delirium tremens
ECT
electroconclusive therapy
IQ
intelligence quotient
MMPI
Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory
psy; psych
psychiatry
SAD
seasonal affective disorder
TAT
thematic apperception test
WAIS
Wechsler adult
intelligence scale
WISC
Werchsler intelligence
scale for children
Abbreviations
Associated With A
Medical Laboratory
ABG
arterial blood gases
AFP
alpha-fetoprotein
ALP
alkaline phosphatase
ALT (SGPT)
enzyme test for
liver function
AST (SGOT)
enzyme test for
liver function
ANA
antinuclear antibody
BUN
blood urea nitogen
FBS
fasting blood sugar
GTT
glucose tolerance test
PaCO2; pCO2
partial pressure of
carbon dioxide
PaO2; pO2
partial pressure
of oxygen
CPK
enzyme test for
cardiac damage
LDH
enzyme test for
cardiac damage
Ca++
calcium
CI
chlorine
HCO3
bicarbonate
K+
kalium, latin for potassium
Na
+
natrium, latin for sodium
P
phosphorus
PKU
phenylketonuria
troponin T
protein test for
cardiac damage