Medical Abbreviations: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Professionals
Common Medical Abbreviations
A
A&E: Accident and Emergency
a&w: Alive and Well
a.c.: Before Meals/Food (Latin)
AB: Apex Beat
ABC: Airways, Breathing, Circulation
abd / abdo.: Abdomen
ABM: Aggressive Behaviour Management
ACTH: Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone
ADLs: Activities of Daily Living
AF: Atrial Fibrillation
AFP: Alphafetoprotein
AHA: Area Health Authority
AI: Aortic Incompetence
AIDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
AIN: Assistant in Nursing
amp.: Ampoule
APPT: Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time
asp.: Aspirate
B
b.d / b.i.d: Twice a Day (Latin)
BAL: Blood Alcohol Level
bgl: Blood Glucose Level
BIBA: Brought In By Ambulance
BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate
BNO: Bowels Not Opened
BO: Bowels Opened
BP: Blood Pressure
BS: Breath Sounds; Bowel Sounds
bsl: Blood Sugar Level
C
c.c: With Meals/Food (Latin)
c/o: Complains Of
CA / Ca: Cancer; Carcinoma; Calcium
CABG: Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
CAD: Coronary Artery Disease
CAT: Coaxial or Computerised Axial Tomography
CBT: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CCF: Congestive Cardiac Failure
CD: Controlled Drug
CHF: Chronic Heart Failure
CNS: Central Nervous System; Clinical Nurse Specialist
COAD: Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (Australia COPD)
CO2: Carbon Dioxide
CP: Care Plan
CPD: Continuous Professional Development
CSF: Cerebrospinal Fluid
CSSD: Central Sterile Supply Depot
CSU: Catheter Specimen of Urine
CT: Cerebral Tumour; Coronary Thrombosis; Computerized Tomography
CVP: Central Venous Pressure
CVA: Cardiovascular Accident; Cerebrovascular Accident
CVS: Cardiovascular System; Cerebrovascular System
Cx: Cervix
CXR: Chest X-ray
D
D/C: Discharge
D&V: Diarrhoea and Vomiting
DKA: Diabetic Ketoacidosis
DOB: Date of Birth
dpm: Drops Per Minute
DTs: Delirium Tremens (Latin)
DVT: Deep Venous Thrombosis
Dx: Diagnosis
E
EBP: Evidence of Best Practice
ECG: Electrocardiogram
EDD: Expected Date of Discharge
EEG: Electroencephalogram
EN: Enrolled Nurse
ENT: Ear, Nose and Throat
ETT: Endotracheal Tube
ESR: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
EUA: Examination Under Anaesthesia
F
FB: Foreign Body
FBC: Full Blood Count; Fluid Balance Chart
FH: Family History
FOB: Faecal Occult Blood
FUO: Fever of Unknown Origin
G
GA: General Anaesthetic
GB: Gall Bladder
GCS: Glasgow Coma Scale
GP: General Practitioner
GTN: Glyceryl Trinitrate
GTT: Glucose Tolerance Test
GU: Gastric Ulcer
H
Hb / Hgb: Haemoglobin
HCA: Health Care Assistant
HDU: High Dependency Unit
Hep B: Hepatitis B
HR: Heart Rate
HS: Heart Sounds
HT: Hypertension
hypo: Hypoglycaemic Attack
I
ICF: Intracellular Fluid
ICP: Integrated Care Pathway
ICS: Intercostal Space
ICU: Intensive Care Unit
IDC: Indwelling Catheter
IDDM: Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
i.m / IM: Intramuscular
INR: International Normalised Ratio
in situ: In Place
IU: International Unit
i.v / IV: Intravenous
IV Abs: IV Antibiotics
IVC: Inferior Vena Cava; Intravenous Cannula
IVT: Intravenous Therapy
K
KCI: Potassium Chloride
L
LA: Left Atrium; Local Anaesthetic
lap. chole: Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
LOC: Level of Consciousness
LV: Left Ventricle
M
M/F: Male/Female
mcg: Microgram
mg: Milligram
MI: Myocardial Infarction
ml: Millilitre
mmol/L: Millimols Per Litre
MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MRSA: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
MSU: Mid-stream Urine
MSW: Medical Social Worker
N
NA: Not Applicable
Na: Sodium
NAD: No Abnormality Detected; Non-adhesive Dressing
NBM: Nil by Mouth
n.c: Nasal Cannulae
NG: Nasogastric
NIDDM: Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
NOK: Next of Kin
NP: Nurse Prescriber
NPU: Not Passed Urine
NSAIDS: Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
N/S: Normal Saline
O
O2: Oxygen
o.d: Daily (Latin)
O/E: On Examination
OA: On Admission
OAP: Old Age Pensioner
OCP: Oral Contraceptive Pill
Obs.: Observations
OPD: Outpatient Department
OT: Operating Theatre; Occupational Therapist
OTC: Over-the-counter Medication
P
P: Pulse; Protein; Parity
p.o: By Mouth
p.r: By Rectum (Latin)
p.r.n: As Required
p.v: By Vagina
PACU: Post Anaesthesia Care Unit
PCA: Patient Controlled Analgesia
PE: Pulmonary Embolism
PEG: Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy
PERLA: Pupils Equal and Reactive to Light and Accommodation
PH: Past History
PICC: Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter
PMH: Past Medical History
PONV: Post-operative Nausea and Vomiting
POP: Plaster of Paris
Pt. Ed: Patient Education
PUO: Pyrexia of Unknown or Uncertain Origin
PVD: Peripheral Vascular Disease
Q
q.d.s / q.i.d: Four Times a Day
R: Right; Respiration
RBC: Red Blood Cell (Count); Red Blood Corpuscles
Rehab: Rehabilitation
RMO: Resident Medical Officer
RN: Registered Nurse
ROM: Range of Motion
RR: Respiratory Rate
RTA: Road Traffic Accident
RTI: Respiratory Tract Infection
RTW: Return to Ward
Rx: Take (in prescriptions); Treatment (in case notes) (Latin)
S
s.c: Subcutaneous
s.l: Sublingual
SaO2: Oxygen Saturation
SG: Specific Gravity
SHO: Senior House Officer
SLT: Speech and Language Therapist
SOB: Short of Breath
SOOB: Sit Out of Bed
sphyg.: Sphygmomanometer
stat.: Immediately (Latin)
T
T&A: Tonsils and Adenoids
t.d.s / t.i.d: Three Times a Day (Latin)
tabs: Tablets
TEDS: Thromboembolism Deterrent Stockings
TIA: Transient Ischaemic Attack
TIME: Tissue, Infection, Moisture Balance, Edges of Wound
TPR: Temperature, Pulse, Respiration
U
u/a: Urinalysis
U: Urea; Unit
URTI: Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
USS: Ultrasound Scan
UTI: Urinary Tract Infection
V
VAC: Vacuum Assisted Closure
VS: Vital Signs
W
WCC: White Cell Count
WNL: Within Normal Limits
X
XR: X-ray