Medical Abbreviations

The medical profession is like any other, with a long list of jargon that confuses the ordinary person.  It also has a large amount of standard abbreviations, quite a few of which have more than one meaning depending on the context.

Our database of the most common abbreviations you are likely to come across is as follows:

  • A = Ankle jerk reflex
  • A & W = Alive and well
  • AAA = Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • AAL = Anterio axillary line
  • AB = Apex beat
  • ABC = Airway, breathing, circulation
  • Abd = Abdomen
  • ABG = Arterial blood gas
  • AC = Before meals
  • ACL = Anterior clavicular line or Anterior cruciate ligament
  • A.d. = As directed
  • Ad lib = At will/as desired
  • adm = Admission/admitted
  • AE = Air entry to lungs or Accident & Emergency
  • AF = Atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat)
  • AI/R = Aortic incompetence/regurgitation
  • AJ = Ankle jerk
  • AoR = Aortic valve replacement
  • AP = Antero-posterior
  • Apgar = Apgar Score (a means of recording a baby's condition at birth)
  • ARM = Artificial rupture of membranes
  • AS = Abdominal system or Aortic stenosis (narrowed heart valve)
  • ASAP = As soon as possible
  • AVF = Augmented voltage foot
  • AVL = Augmented voltage left arm
  • AVR = Augmented voltage right arm
  • AXR = Abdominal x-ray
  • B = Biceps jerk/reflex
  • BB = Bed bath
  • BBB = Bundle branch block
  • BCC = Basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer)
  • Bid = Twice a day
  • BID = Brought in dead
  • BJ = Biceps jerk
  • BM = Bowel movement
  • BMI = Body mass index
  • BMR = Basal metabolic rate
  • BNF (+ date) = British National Formulary
  • BNO = Bowels not opened
  • BO = Bowels open
  • BOR = Bowels open regularly
  • BP (+ date) = British pharmacopoeia
  • BP = Blood pressure
  • BPd = Diastolic blood pressure
  • BPD = Bi-parietal diameter
  • BPs = Systolic blood pressure
  • BRP = Bathroom privileges
  • BS = either Breath Sounds, Bowel Sounds or Blood Sugar, depending on context
  • BWt = Birth weight
  • C = Centigrade/celsius
  • CC = chief complaint
  • cc = Cubic centimetre
  • c.c. = With food/meals
  • c/o = Complains of
  • C2H5OH = Alcohol
  • Ca = Calcium or Carcinoma/Cancer, depending on context
  • CABG/S = Coronary artery bypass graft/surgery
  • Caps = Capsules
  • CBT = Cognitive behavioural therapy
  • CCF = Congestive cardiac failure
  • CHF = Chronic heart failure
  • CFS = Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • CNS = Central nervous system
  • CO = Complaining of
  • CO2 = Carbon dioxide
  • COAD = Chronic obstructive airways disease
  • COP = Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or change of plaster, depending on context
  • CPD = Cephalo-pelvic disproportion
  • CPR = Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
  • CSF = Cerebro-spinal fluid
  • CSU = Catheter specimen of urine
  • CT = Cerebral tumour, coronary thrombosis or computerised axial tomography (body scan)
  • CTG = Cardiotocograph
  • CV = Cardio-vascular
  • CVA = Cerebro-vascular accident (stroke) of cardio-vascular accident
  • CVS = Cardio-vascular system
  • Cx = Cervix or cervical spine
  • CXR = Chest x-ray
  • D&V = Diarrhoea and vomiting
  • d/c = Discontinue or Discharge
  • DD = Dangerous drugs
  • decub. = Lying down
  • D/H = Drug history
  • DNA = Did Not Attend or Deoxyribonucleic acid
  • DOA = Dead on arrival
  • DOB = Date of birth
  • DS = Disseminated sclerosis
  • DTs = Delirium tremens
  • DU = Duodenal ulcer
  • DVT = Deep vein thrombosis
  • Dx = Diagnosis
  • DXT = Deep x-ray treatment
  • E = Electrolytes
  • EBL = Estimated blood loss
  • EBV = Epstein-Barr virus
  • ECG or EKG = Electrocardiogram
  • ECT = Electro-convulsive therapy
  • EDC = Expected date of confinement
  • EDD = Expected date of delivery
  • EEG = Electroencephalogram/graph (brain scan)
  • EMU= Early morning specimen of urine
  • ENT = Ear, nose and throat
  • ESN = Educationally sub-normal
  • ESR = Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (blood)
  • ETT = Endotracheal tube or exercise tolerance test
  • EUA = Examination under anaesthesia
  • F = Fahrenheit
  • FB or fb = Finger's breadth or Foreign body
  • FBC = Full blood count
  • FBG = Fasting blood glucose/sugar
  • FBS = Fetal blood sampling
  • FH = Family history or fetal heart
  • FHH = Fetal heart heard
  • FHHR = Fetal heart heard regular
  • FHR = Fetal heart rate
  • FMF = Fetal movements felt
  • FROM = Full range of movement
  • FSE = Fetal scalp electrode
  • FSH = Family and Social History or Follicle-stimulating Hormone
  • FTD = Formal thought disorder
  • FUO = Fever of unknown origin
  • G = Gravidity
  • GA = General anaesthetic
  • GB = Gall bladder
  • GC = General condition
  • GCS = Glasgow coma scale
  • GIS = Gastro-intestinal system
  • GIT = Gastro-intestinal tract
  • GP = General practitioner
  • GTT = Glucose tolerance test (for diabetes)
  • GU = Gastric ulcer
  • GUS = Genito-urinary system
  • GUT = Genito-urinary tract
  • Hb or Hgb = Haemoglobin (blood)
  • HDU = High dependency unit
  • HI = Head injury
  • HNPU = Has not passed urine
  • HPC = History of presenting complaint
  • HR = Heart rate
  • HS = Heart sounds
  • HT = Height
  • HVS = High vaginal swab
  • Hx = History
  • IBS = Irritable bowel syndrome
  • ICS = Intercostal space
  • ICU = Intensive care unit
  • ID = Infectious disease
  • IGT or IGTN = Ingrowing toenail
  • IM or i.m. = Intramuscular
  • IOFB = Intra-ocular foreign body
  • IP = In-patient or interphalangeal
  • IQ = Intelligence quotient
  • ISQ = In status quo (nothing changed)
  • IU = International unit
  • IV or i.v. = Intravenous
  • IVC = Inferior vena cava
  • IVI = Intravenous infusion (drip)
  • Ix = Investigations
  • JVP = Jugular vein/venous pressure
  • K = Potassium or Knee jerk reflex
  • KJ = Knee Jerk
  • KUB = Kidneys, urethra, bladder (x-ray or ultrasound of renal tract)
  • L = Litre or left
  • L/L = Litres per litre
  • LA = Local anaesthetic or left atrium
  • LBP = Low back pain or low blood pressure
  • LFTs = Liver function tests
  • LIF = Left iliac fossa
  • LIH = Left inguinal hernia
  • LKKS = Liver, kidney, kidney, spleen
  • LLL = Left lower lobe
  • LMP = Last menstrual period
  • LN = Lymph node
  • LOC = Loss of consciousness
  • LOP = Left occiput posterior
  • LP = Lumbar puncture
  • LS = Lymph system
  • LSCS = Lower segment caesarean section
  • LSKK = Liver, spleen and kidneys
  • LUQ = Left upper quadrant
  • LV = Left ventricle or lumbar vertebra
  • M/F = Male/female
  • M/W/S = Married, widow(er) or single
  • mane = In the morning
  • mcg = Microgram
  • MCL = Mid-clavicular line
  • MCV = Mean corpuscular volume (measure of size of red blood cells)
  • ME = Myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome)
  • µg or mcg = Microgram
  • MCL = Mid-clavicular line
  • MCV = Mean corpuscular volume
  • mg = Milligram
  • MI = Myocardial infarction (heart attack) or Mitral Incompetence (leaking heart valve)
  • mist = Mixture
  • ml = Millilitre
  • mmHG - Millilitres of mercury (pressure)
  • MOP = Medical out-patient
  • MRI = Magnetic resonance imaging
  • MS = Multiple sclerosis or mitral stenosis (narrowed heart valve) or musculo-skeletal
  • MSE = Mental state examination
  • MSS = Musculo-skeletal system
  • MSU or MSSU = Mid-stream urine sample
  • MUA = Manipulation under anaesthetic
  • N & V = Nausea and vomiting
  • Na = Sodium
  • NA = Not applicable
  • NAD = Nothing abnormal diagnosed/detected
  • NBI = No bone injury
  • NBM = Nil by mouth
  • NFR = Not for resuscitation
  • ng = Nanogram
  • NG = Carcinoma/cancer (neoplastic growth)
  • NMCS = No malignant cells seen
  • NOF = Neck of femur
  • Nocte = At night
  • NP = Not palpable or nasal passage
  • NPO = Nothing by mouth
  • NPU = Not passed urine
  • NS = Nervous system
  • N/S = Normal size
  • NSA = No significant abnormality
  • NSAID = Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
  • NYD = Not yet diagnosed
  • O2 = Oxygen
  • OA = Osteoarthritis or on admission
  • o.d. = Once a day
  • O/E or o.e. = On examination
  • oed. = Oedema
  • OGD = Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy
  • om = In the morning
  • on = At night
  • OOH = Out of hours
  • OPD = Outpatient department
  • ORIF = Open reduction and internal fixation (of fracture)
  • OT = Occupational therapist
  • otc = Over the counter (medication)
  • P = Pulse, protein or parity
  • PAT = Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia
  • PCB = Post-coital bleeding
  • PCC = Post-coital contraception
  • PE = Pulmonary embolism or Pre-eclampsia
  • PERLA = Pupils equal and reactive to light and accommodation
  • PF(R) = Peak flow (rate)
  • PH = Past/previous history
  • PID = Pelvic inflammatory disease or Prolapsed in-vertebral disc
  • Pl. = Plasma
  • PM = Post mortem exam
  • PMH = Past/previous medical history
  • PO = Per orim (by mouth)
  • POH = Past/previous obstetric history
  • POP = Progesterone only pill or Plaster of Paris
  • PPs = Peripheral pulses
  • PR = Per rectum (rectal exam)
  • PROM = Premature rupture of membranes
  • PRN = As required
  • PTSD = Post traumatic stress disorder
  • PU = Peptic ulcer or Passed urine
  • PVD = Peripheral vascular disease
  • qds or qid = 4 times a day
  • R/L = Right/Left
  • R(R) = Respiration (rate)
  • RA = Rheumatoid arthritis or right atrium
  • RBC = Red blood count (erythrocyte)
  • RBS = Random blood sugar
  • RCA = Right coronary artery
  • Reg. = Regular
  • RFT = Renal function test or Respiratory function test
  • Rh = Rhesus
  • RI = Respiratory infection
  • R/L HC = Right/Left hypochordrium (abdomen)
  • R/LIF = Right/Left iliacfossa (groin)
  • RIH = Right inguinal hernia
  • ROM = Range of movement
  • RS = Respiratory system
  • RSI = Repetitive strain injury
  • RTA = Road traffic accident
  • RTC = Return to clinic
  • RTI = Respiratory tract infection
  • RUA = Right upper arm
  • RUQ = Right upper quadrant (of abdomen)
  • Rx = Prescription or treatment
  • S = Supinator (jerk/reflex)
  • S/B = Seen by
  • SBG = Serum blood glucose (blood sugar level)
  • SH = Social history
  • SI = Sacro-iliac
  • SkXR = Skull x-ray
  • Sl. = Slight
  • SLR = Straight leg raise
  • SMR - Submucosal re-section (nasal operation)
  • SOB (OE) = Short of breath (on exertion)
  • SOL - Space occupying lesion (usually in the head)
  • SOM = Secretary otitis (glue ear)SOP = Surgical outpatient
  • SOS = Si opus sit (if necessary) or See other sheet
  • SR = Sinus rhythm (normal heart beat)
  • Stat = Immediately
  • Sx = Symptoms
  • T = Triceps jerk reflex or Temperature
  • TATT = Tired all the time
  • TB = Tuberculosis
  • TCI = to came in date/admission date
  • tds or tid = 3 times a day
  • TGH = To go home
  • THR = Total hip replacement
  • TIA = Transient ischaemic attack (stroke)
  • TKR = Total knee replacement
  • TLC = Tender loving care
  • TM or Tm = Tympanic membrane
  • TMJ = Temporo-mandibular joint
  • TNS = Transcutaneous nerve stimulator
  • TPR = Temperature, pulse, respiration
  • TShR = Total shoulder replacement
  • TTO/A = To take home/away (medication)
  • U = Urea or unit
  • U&Es = Urea and electrolytes (blood test for kidney function)
  • UC = Ulcerative colitis
  • UGS = Urogenital system
  • URTI = Upper respiratory tract infection
  • USS = Ultrasound scan
  • UTI = Urinary tract infection
  • UVL = Ultra-violet light
  • VF = Ventricular fibrillation
  • VP = Venous pressure
  • VT = Ventricular tachycardia
  • Vx = Vertex
  • WBC = White blood corpuscle/white blood cell count
  • WNL = Within normal limits
  • Wt = Weight
  • XR = X-ray
  • YOB = Year of birth