Primer
| When first entering a medically related field, one must learn the language in order to function. Part
of learning this language is to learn the meaning of the abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols in use. This chapter is intended to
introduce newcomers to this commonly used medically related shorthand.
The determination of which abbreviations (refers also to acronyms and symbols) are most commonly used is based on the selection by the author with the consultation of experts in various health-related fields. The categorizing of the abbreviations is arbitrary, but is intended to represent the most common use, as the abbreviation could have been placed in many different catergories. This list could have been expanded to include many hundreds-more commonly used abbreviations, but then the list would have been too long to serve as a primer. The absence of an abbreviation from this listing does not mean it is not in common use. Each area of practice and specialty could have added their own commonly used abbreviations. A few of the abbreviations below have more than one meaning listed. This was done when several meanings are in common use. Many abbreviations have more than one meaning and they must be viewed in their clinical context to arrive at their intended meaning. Utilize the Abbreviation Search to find additional meanings for the abbreviations. In practice, there are inconsistencies as to how abbreviations are written. They may appear in all capital letters, lowers case, or in capital letters and lower case. They may or may not have periods after each letter. Readers are urged to read the contents of the MedAbbrev Do Not Use List where many dangerous, contradictory, and/or ambiguous abbreviations are listed. |
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Arranged by Category - A Primer |
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|
and Discharge Summary |
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| C/O | complains of |
| CC | chief complaint(s) |
| CTA | clear to ausculation |
| Dx | diagnosis |
| F/U | follow-up |
| FH | family history |
| H/O | history of |
| HPI | history of present illness |
| Hx | history |
| PE | physical examination; pelvic examination; pulmonary embolism |
| PH/SH | personal and social history |
| PI | present illness |
| PMH | past medical history |
| ROS | review of systems |
| SH | social history |
| Tx | treatment |
| CV | cardiovascular |
| GI | gastrointestinal |
| GU | genitourinary |
| EENT | ears, eyes, nose and throat |
| HEENT | head, ears, eyes, nose and throat |
| Ob/Gyn | obstetrics and gynecology |
| Peds | pediatrics |
| UCD | usual childhood diseases |
| A & P | auscultation and percussion |
| ADL | activities of daily living |
| CN III | third cranial nerve (there are CN I to XII) |
| RCM | right costal margin (there is also a LCM) |
| RUQ | right upper quadrant (also there is RLQ, LUQ and LLQ) |
| TM | tympanic membrane |
| AAOX 3 | alert, awake and oriented to person, place and time |
| BM | bowel movement |
| BP | blood pressure |
| CVAT | costovertebral angle tenderness |
| DTR | deep tendon reflex |
| EOMI | extraocular muscles intact |
| HJR | hepatojugular reflux |
| JVD | jugular venous distention |
| IBW | ideal body weight |
| LBW | lean body weight |
| BSA | body surface area |
| LMP | last menstrual period |
| NAD | no apparent distress; no apparent disease |
| NC/AT | normocephalic, atraumatic |
| NKA | no known allergies |
| NKDA | no known drug allergies |
| o.d. | right eye |
| o.s. | left eye |
| o.u. | both eyes |
| PERRLA | pupils equal, round,reactive to light and accomodation |
| IOP | intraocular pressure |
| ROM | range of motion |
| VS | vital signs |
| P | pulse |
| T | temperature |
| RR | respiratory rate; recovery room |
| HR | heart rate |
| RRR | regular rate amd rhythm (heart) |
| WDWNWM | well developed, well nourished, white male (also there are abbreviations for females and other races [WF=white female; AAF=African-American female]) |
| YO | year old |
| DOB | date of birth |
| + | positive; present; plus |
| - | negative; absent; minus |
 | with |
| õ | negative; without |
| W/O | without |
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| AD | Alzheimer disease |
| AIDS | acquired immunodeficiency syndrome |
| HIV | human immunodeficiency virus |
| AMI | acute myocardial infarction |
| MI | myocardial infarction |
| CHF | congestive heart failure |
| ACS | acute coronary syndrome |
| HT | hypertension (also HTn);height |
| DM | diabetes mellitus |
| AODM | adult onset diabetes mellitus |
| IDDM | insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus |
| NIDDM | noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus |
| PD | Parkinson disease |
| AOM | acute otitis media |
| Ca | cancer |
| COAD | chronic obstructive airway disase |
| COPD | chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| DOE | dyspnea on exertion |
| SOB | shortness of breath |
| URI | upper respiratory infection |
| TB | tuberculosis |
| CVA | cerebrovascular accident; costovertebral angle |
| DVT | deep vein thrombosis |
| NV | nausea and vomiting |
| NVD | nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; neck vein distention |
| PONV | postoperative nausea and vomiting |
| PUD | peptic ulcer disease |
| GERD | gastroesophageal reflux disease |
| RA | rheumatoid arthritis |
| OA | osteoarthritis |
| SLE | systemic lupus erythematosus |
| TIA | transient ischemic attack |
| HA | headache |
| BPH | benign prostatic hypertrophy (hyperplasia) |
| UTI | urinary tract infection |
| STD | sexually transmitted disease |
| MVA | motor vehicle accident |
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| ANA | antinuclear antibody |
| Alb | albumin |
| ALT | alanine aminotransferase |
| LFT | liver function test |
| aPTT | activated partial thromboplastin time |
| AST | asparate aminotransferase |
| BG | blood glucose; blood gases |
| BS | blood sugar; bowel sounds; breath sounds |
| BUN | blood urea nitrogen |
| CK-MB | creatine Kinase, MB function |
| CO2 | carbon dioxide |
| CPK | creatinine phosphokinase |
| CrCl | creatinine clearance |
| C & S | culture and sensitivity |
| ESR | erythrocyte sedimentation rate |
| Gluc | glucose |
| FBS | fasting blood sugar |
| HbA1c | glycosylated hemoglobin |
| CHOL | cholesterol |
| HDL | high-density lipoprotein |
| LDL | low-density lipoprotein |
| LDH | lactic dehydrogenase |
| Trig | triglycerides |
| INR | international normalized ratio |
| DB | direct bilirubin |
| TB | total bilirubin |
| TP | total protein |
| Ca | Calcium (also Ca++) |
| Cl | Chloride (also Cl-) |
| K | Potassium (also K+) |
| Mg | Magnesium (also Mg++) |
| Na | Sodium (also Na+) |
| OGTT | oral glucose tolerance test |
| PSA | prostate-specific antigen |
| UA | urinalysis |
| VDRL | Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (test for syphilis) |
| CBC | complete blood count |
| Diff | differential (blood count) |
| Eos | eosinophil |
| Fe | iron |
| Hct | hematocrit |
| Hgb | hemoglobin |
| Plt | platelets |
| MCV | mean corpuscular volume |
| RBC | red blood cell (count) |
| Segs | segmented neutrophils |
| WBC | white blood cell (count) |
| ABG | arterial blood gases |
| WNL | within normal limits |
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| ECG | electrocardiogram |
| EEG | electroencephalogram |
| FEV1 | forced expiratory volume in one second |
| IPPB | intermittent positive-pressure breathing |
| PFT | pulmonary function tests |
| PEEP | positive end-expiratory pressure |
| MUGA | multigated (radionuclide) angiogram |
| CT | computer tomography |
| IVP | intravenous pyelogram |
| MRI | magnetic resonance imaging |
| PET | positron imaging tomography |
| US | ultrasound |
| CABG | coronary artery bypass graft |
| PCTA | percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty |
| PT | physical therapy |
| D & C | dilation & curettage |
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| ASAP | as soon as possible |
| OOB | out of bed |
| BRP | bathroom privileges |
| CPR | cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
| DNR | do not resuscitate |
| DAW | dispense as written |
| DC or D/C | discharge; discontinue |
| I/O | intake and output |
| LD | loading dose |
| NAS | no salt added |
| n.p.o | nothing by mouth |
| p.o. | by mouth; postoperative |
| IM | intramuscular |
| IV | intravenous |
| SC | subcutaneous |
| SQ | subcutaneous (subcut preferred) |
| PICC | percutaneous indwelling central catheter |
| IVPB | intravenous piggyback |
| NGT | nasogastric tube |
| cap | capsule |
| tab | tablet |
| inj | injection |
| i | one |
| ii | two |
| q | every (as in q 6 hours) |
| h | hour(s) |
| b.i.d. | twice daily |
| t.i.d. | three times daily |
| q.i.d. | four times daily |
| q.a.m. | every morning |
| q.p.m. | every evening |
| a.c. | before meals |
| p.c. | after meals |
| h.s. | bedtime |
| n.r. | no refills (prescriptions) |
| p.r.n | as required; whenever necessary |
| MRx1 | may repeat one time |
| Rx | prescription; pharmacy |
| OTC | over-the-counter (no prescription required) |
| Stat | immediately |
| TKO | to keep (vein) open |
| TO | telephone order |
| VO | verbal order |
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| APAP | acetaminophen |
| ASA | aspirin |
| 5D/W | dextrose 5% injection (in water) |
| Dig | digoxin |
| ETOH | Alcohol (ethyl alcohol) |
| FeSO4 | ferrous sulfate |
| H2O | water |
| H2O2 | hydrogen peroxide |
| HCl | hydrochloride (when following a drug name, as in thiamine HCl [thiamine hydrochloride]) hydrochloric acid (when it appears separately [not as part of a drug name]) |
| KCl | potassium chloride |
| MgSO4 | magnesium sulfate |
| MOM | milk of magnesia |
| NaCl | sodium chloride |
| NS | normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride; same as NSS) |
| NSS | normal saline solution (0.9% sodium chloride) |
| O2 | oxygen |
| PCN | penicillin |
| tPA | tissue plasminogen activator |
| IVF | intravenous fluids |
| TPN | total parenteral nutrition |
| lytes | electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, etc.) |
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| ABX | antibiotic(s) |
| COX-2 I | cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor |
| MOAI | monoamine oxidase inhibitor |
| NSAID | nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug |
| OC | oral contraceptive |
| PPI | proton pump inhibitor |
| SSRI | selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor |
| TCA | tricyclic antidrpressant |
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| cm | centimeter (2.54 cm = 1 inch) |
| g | gram (28.35g = 1 ounce |
| kg | kilogram (1 kg=2.2 pounds) |
| L | liter (1 L = 1,000 ml = 1 quart plus about 2 ounces) |
| lb | pound (1 lb = 0.454 Kg) |
| mcg | mcg (1,000 mcg = 1 milligram [mg]) |
| mEq | milliequivalent |
| mg | milligram (1,000 mg = 1 gram [g]) |
| mL | milliliter (1000 (mL = 1 liter [L]) |
| mmHg | millimeters of mercury |
| °C | degrees Centigrade |
| °F | degrees Farenheit |
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| CCU | cardiac care unit |
| DR | delivery room |
| ED | emergency department |
| ER | emergency room ( same as ED) |
| ICU | intensive care unit |
| L & D | labor and delivery |
| LDR | labor, delivery and recovery |
| MICU | medical intensive care unit |
| NICU | neonatal intensive care unit |
| OB | obstetrics |
| OR | operating room |
| PACU | postanesthesia care unit |
| PICU | pediatric intensive care unit; pulmonary intensive care |
| RD | radiology department |
| SICU | surgical intensive care unit |
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| APRN | Advanced Practice Registered Nurse |
| CNS | Clinical Nurse Specialist |
| DO | Doctor of Osteopathy |
| DDS | Doctor of Dental Surgery |
| LPN | Licensed Pratical Nurse |
| MA | Medical Assistant |
| MAR | medication administration record |
| MD | Doctor of Medicine |
| PA | Physician Assistant |
| PharmD | Doctor of Pharmacy |
| PT | Physical Therapist (Therapy) |
| RD | Registered Dietitian |
| RPh | Registered Pharmacist |
| RN | Registered Nurse |