Medical Abbreviations and Acronyms
Abbreviated terms in medical practice
Common medical abbreviations
AB: Abortion, antibody or antibiotic inclusive
ABG: Arterial blood gas
ACLS: Advanced cardiac life support
ACS: Acute coronary syndrome
A/G: Albumin-globulin ratio
ALL: Acute lymphocytic leukemia
ANC: Absolute neutrophil count
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
AP: Anteroposterior
AS: Aortic stenosis
AV: Arteriovenous
ASHD: Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease
BC: Bone conduction
BCP: Birth control pills
BM: Bowel movement
BMI: Body mass index
BMP: Basic metabolic profile
BPH: Benign prostatic hypertrophy
BP: Blood Pressure
BR: Bed rest
BPM: Beats per Minute
BS: Blood Sugar
BUN: Blood urea nitrogen
BV: Bacterial vaginosis
BX: Biopsy
C-section: Cesarean section
CA: Cancer, carcinoma
CAD: Coronary artery disease
CBC: Complete blood count
CCU: Coronary care unit
CMP: Comprehensive metabolic panel
CHD: Coronary Heart Disease
CHF: Congestive Heart Failure
CNS: Central nervous system
CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
CR: Complete remission
CST: Contraction stress test
CV: Cardiovascular
CVA: Cerebral Vascular Accident
CVP: Central venous pressure
CXR: Chest x-ray
D&E: Dilatation and evacuation
DBP: Diastolic blood pressure
DC: Discontinue
DH: Developmental history
DI: Diabetes insipidis
DJD: Degenerative joint disease
DM: Diabetes Mellitus
DNR: Do not resuscitate
DOA: Dead on arrival
DOB: Date of birth
DTR: Deep tendon reflex
DWI: Diffusion weighted image
Dx: Diagnosis
EBL: Estimated blood loss
ECG: Electrocardiogram
EDC: Expected date of confinement
EFM: Electronic fetal monitoring
EENT: Ears, eyes, nose, throat
EMG: Electromyogram
ENT: Ear, nose, throat
EOM: Extraocular movements
ERD: End Stage Renal Disease
EUA: Examination under anesthesia
FB: Foreign body
FECG: Fetal electrocardiogram
FH: Family history
FHR: Fetal heart rate
FSE: Fetal scalp electrode
FU: Follow-up
FUO: Fever of unknown origin
GB: Gallbladder
GC: Gonorrhea
GE: Gastroenterostomy
GERD: Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease
GH: Growth hormone
GI: Gastro-intestinal
GTT: Glucose tolerance test
GYN: Gynecologic
HA: Headache
HBP: High Blood Pressure
HBV: Hepatitis B virus
HC: Head circumference
HCVD: Hypertensive cardiovascular disease
HDL: High density lipoprotein cholesterol
HIV: Human immune deficiency virus
HPI: History of present illness
HR: Heart Rate
HRT: Hormone replacement therapy
HTN: Hypertension
ICU: Intensive care unit
IDD: Insulin Dependent Diabetes
IM: Intramuscular
I&O: Intake and output
IV: Intravenous
IVF: Intravenous fluid
JVD: Jugular venous distension
KVO: Keep vein open
LA: Left atrium
LDL: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol
LFD: Low fat diet
LFT: Liver function test
LOC: Liver function test
LOF: Loss of fluid
LTCS: Low transverse cesarean section
LTV: Long term variability
LUE: Left upper extremity
MA: Mental age
MAE: Moves all extremities
MAP: Mean Arterial Pressure
MAR: Medication administration record
MBC: Maximum breathing capacity
MCT: Medium chain triglyceride
MCV: Mean corpuscular volume
MDR: Minimum daily requirement
METS: Metabolic equivalence
MH: Menstrual history
MICU: Medical Intensive Care Unit
MMR: Measles, mumps, rubella
MOM: Milk of magnesia
MRA: Magnetic resonance angiogram
MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging
MUD: Matched unrelated donor
MVI: Multi-vitamin injection
NA: Not applicable
NAD: No active disease
NIBP: Noninvasive blood pressure
NIH: National Institutes of Health
NKDA: No known drug allergies
NPO: Nothing by mouth
NS: Normal saline
NSICU: Neurosurgery intensive care unit
NSR: Normal sinus rhythm
N&T: Nose and throat
NST: Non-stress test
NTE: Not to exceed
NTG: Nitroglycerin
N/V: Nausea and Vomiting
NIDD: Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes
OB: Obstetrics
PG: Oral gastric
OOB: Out of bed
OPC: Oral polio vaccine
OR: Operating room
OT: Occupational therapy
OTC: Over the counter
PACU: Post anesthesia care unit
PAS: Pulmonary artery systolic
PAO: Pulmonary artery pressure
PCA: Patient controlled analgesia
PD: Progressive disease
PF: Peak flow
PFT: Pulmonary function tests
PID: Pelvic inflammatory disease
PIH: Pregnancy induced hypertension
PMH: Past medical history
PMP: Previous menstrual period
PRO: Protein
PSA: Prostatic specific antigen
PUD: Peptic ulcer disease
QC: Quality control
RBC: Red blood cell
RBS: Random blood sugar
RDA: Recommended daily allowance
ROS: Review of systems
RR: Respiratory rate
RTC: Return to clinic
RUE: Right upper extremity
Rx: Prescription treatment
SARS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome
SBP: Systolic blood pressure
SG: Specific gravity
SH: Social history
SICU: Surgical Intensive Care Unit
SOB: Shortness of Breath
SOP: Standard of Practice
S&S: Signs and symptoms
SVI: Stroke volume index
Sx: Symptoms
TAB: Therapeutic abortion
TAM: Total active movement
TB: Tuberculosis
TF: Tube feedings
TLC: Total lung capacity
TMJ: Tempromandibular joint
TPM: Total passive movement
TPR: Temperature
TV: Tidal volume
UA: Urine analysis
UCHD: Usual childhood diseases
UE: Upper extremity
UGI: Upper gastrointestinal
UO: Urine output
URI: Upper Respiratory Infection
US: Ultrasound
UTD: Up to date
UTI: Urinary Tract Infection
VBAC: Vaginal birth after cesarean section
VCG: Vector cardiogram
VD: Venereal disease
VO: Verbal order
VO2: Oxygen consumption
VS: Vital signs
VT: Ventricular tachycardia
W: Water
WB: whole blood
WBC: White blood cell (count)
WC: wheelchair
WDL: Within defined limits
WFL: Within functional limits
WNL: Within normal limits
YO: Years old
Medical abbreviation sources:
- Medical abbreviations by Börm Bruckmeier Publishing
- Medical Abbreviation Dictionary by Ohio University
Medical abbreviation glossaries:
- Royal College of General Practitioners has a brief glossary of medical abbreviations with further explanations.
- Abbreviations for disease states and physiologic states relevant to dosing
Regulations of medical abbreviations
- Regulations of abbreviations by Kansas University Medical Center
- Medical abbreviations policy and approved abbreviations (in PDF) by Department Pharmacy Services of University of Washington
