A-Z of Common abbreviations
Symbols
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not Present OR No abnormality | Also in superscript eg 0 |
| +/- | Uncertain/equivocal | |
| + | Present or Noted |
|
| ++ | Present Significantly | |
| +++ | Present in Excess |
|
| = | Equivalent to |
|
| △ | Diagnosis | |
| # | Fracture | |
| < | Less than | |
| > | Greater than | |
| µl | Micrometer |
A
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| AAA | Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm | Swelling of the main artery in the abdomen |
| AAL | Anterior Axillary Line | Imaginary line drawn down the chest wall in front of the arm pit |
| (AAT) Deficiency | Alpha1 - Anti trypsin Deficiency | |
| AB | Apex Beat | |
| ABG | Arterial Blood Gas also "Sats" | Blood test to see how much oxygen there is in the blood (percentage ‘saturation’ with oxygen) |
| ACE | Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme | |
| ACL | Anterior Cruciate Ligament | A ligament in the knee |
| A.d | As Directed | |
| ADC | Aids Defining Condition | |
| ADD | Attention Deficit Disorder | |
| ADHD | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | |
| A/E | Air Entry to Lungs | |
| A&E | Accident & Emergency Department | |
| AF | Atrial Fibrillation | Irregular heart beat |
| AFP | Alpha-fetoprotein | |
| AHRF | Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure | |
| AI/R | Aortic Incompetence/regurgitation | Leaking heart valve. |
| AIDS | Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome | |
| AJ/AR | Ankle Jerk/Reflex | Hitting the ankle with a patella hammer to test reflexes |
| A/K | Above Knee | |
| ANA's | Antinuclear antibodies | |
| AoR | Aortic Valve Replacement | |
| aPL | Anti-phospholipid antibodies | |
| APD | Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis | |
| ARVC | Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy | |
| AS | Abdominal System OR Aortic Stenosis OR Ankylosing Spondylitis | Aortic Stenosis is a narrowed heart valve |
| ASD | Atria-Septal Defect | |
| AXR | Abdominal X-Ray |
B
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| BCC | Basal Cell Carcinoma | Skin Cancer – Very Low Malignancy |
| bd/bid | Twice a Day | |
| BDD | Body dysmorphic disorder | |
| BiPAP | Bi-level Positive Airways Pressure | |
| BJ/BR | Biceps Jerk/Reflex | Hitting the front of the elbow with a patella hammer to test reflexes |
| B/K | Below Knee | |
| BMI | Body Mass Index | A measure of body size relating to height and weight |
| BM stix | Blood Glucose Test | |
| BNO | Bowels Not Opened | |
| BOR | Bowels Open Regularly | |
| BP | Blood Pressure | |
| BPd/DBP | Diastolic Blood Pressure | The lower blood pressure reading (heart relaxed) |
| BPs/SBP | Systolic Blood Pressure | The higher blood pressure reading (heart contracted) |
| BS | Breath Sounds | |
| BSO | Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy |
C
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| CA or Ca (also indicated by "*") | Carcinoma |
Cancer |
| Carcinoma Tumour Markers | ||
| CA 125 | (cancer antigen 125) | associated with ovarian cancer |
| CA 15-3 | (cancer antigen 15-3) | associated with breast, lung and ovarian cancer |
| CA 19-9 | (cancer antigen 19-9) | associated with pancreatic, bowel and bile duct cancers |
| CEA | (carcinoembryonic antigen) | associated with cancers of bowel, lung, breast, thyroid, pancreas, liver, cervix and bladder – elevated in many benign conditions as well |
| AFP | (alpha-fetoprotein) | associated with cancer of testicle or ovary |
| hCG | (human chorionic gonadotrophin) | associated with testicular cancer and normal pregnancy (this hormone is the one measured in home pregnancy urine test kits) |
| LDH | (lactate dehydrogenise) | associated with testicular cancer |
| PSA | Prostate-Specific Antogen | prostate cancer and benign conditions of the prostate, very raised when there are bony secondaries and is often a good predictor of bony spread |
| CABG/S or CAG/S | Coronary Artery (Bypass) Graft/Surgery | Heart surgery to bypass blocked blood supply |
| CAPD | Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis | |
| CCF | Congestive Cardiac Failure | |
| CCU | Coronary Care Unit | |
| CF | Cystic Fibrosis | |
| CFS | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Also called ME |
| CHRF | Chronic Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure | |
| CNS | Central Nervous System | |
| CO2 | Carbon Dioxide | |
| C/o or C.o | Complains of | |
| COAD | Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease | Chronic lung disease |
| COPD | Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease | Chronic lung disease |
| CP | Cerebral Palsy | |
| CPAP | Continuous Positive Airways Pressure | |
| CREST | Limited Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis | |
| CRP | C-reactive protein | |
| CSII | Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion | |
| CSOM | Chronic suppurative otitis media | |
| CT | Coronary Thrombosis | Heart Attack |
| CT or CAT | Computerised Axial Tomography | X ray scan |
| CTO | Compulsory Treatment Order | |
| CVA | Cerebrovascular Accident | Stroke |
| CVS | Cardiovascular System | The heart and blood vessels |
| CX or Cx | Cervix OR Cervical Spine | Cervix is the neck of the wombFor example, Cx smear = Cervical smear |
| CXR | Chest X-ray |
D
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| D&V | Diarrhoea and Vomiting | |
| D/H | Drug History | |
| dcSSc | Diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis | |
| DIP, MIP, PIP | Distal/middle/proximal interphalangeal joints | Finger joints |
| DKA | Diabetic Ketoacidosis | |
| DLB | Dementia with Lewy bodies | |
| DLE | Discoid Lupus Erythematosus | A connective tissue disorder |
| DM | Diabetes Mellitus | |
| DNA | Did Not Attend | |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid | |
| DS | Disseminated (Multiple) Sclerosis | |
| DT | Delerium Tremens | The “Shakes” in alcoholism |
| DU | Duodenal Ulcer | |
| DVT | Deep Vein Thrombosis | Blood clot – usually in leg |
| DXT | Deep X-ray Treatment | Radiotherapy |
E
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| EAM | External Auditory Meatus | Ear canal opening |
| ECG | Electrocardiogram/ Electrocardiograph | A recording of the electrical changes that accompany the beating of the heart. Often used to diagnose heart disease. |
| ECT | Electro-convulsive therapy | A procedure in which an electric current is briefly applied to the head to produce a seizure for treatment of depression |
| EDNOS | Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified | |
| EEG | Electroencephalogram | A recording of electrical activity of the brain to diagnose certain diseases (such as epilepsy). |
| eGFR | Glomerular Filtration Rate | |
| EMG | Electromyography | Evaluation of the electrical activity of resting and contracting muscle to ascertain causes of muscular weakness, paralysis and involuntary movements of muscles. |
| EMU | Early Morning Specimen of Urine | Most frequently analysed for detection of tuberculosis. |
| ENG | Head engaged (Baby) | Head of baby low in pelvis (in Womb) |
| ENT | Ear, Nose & Throat | |
| EP | Epilepsy | |
| EPAP | Expiratory Positive Airways Pressure | |
| ERCP | Endoscopic retrograde cholongiopancreatography | |
| ESR | Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate | A blood test for inflammation |
| EUA | Examination Under Anaesthesia | |
| EUS | Endoluminal ultrasound |
F
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| FB | Foreign Body | |
| FBC | Full Blood Count | Blood test for red and white cells and platelets. |
| FBG/S | Fasting Blood Glucose/Sugar | For diagnosis of diabetes |
| FD | Forceps Delivery | |
| F/H or FH | Family History | |
| FEV1 | Forced Expiratory Volume | |
| FHH/R | Foetal Heart Heard/Regular | Baby’s heartbeat in the womb |
| FROM | Full Range of Movement | Usually applies to joints |
| FTD | Formal Thought Disorder | Disorder of thinking in psychotic illness |
| FTND | Full Term Normal Delivery | |
| FVC | Forced Vital Capacity |
G
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| G6PD | Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase | |
| GA | General Anaesthetic | |
| GC | General Condition | |
| GCS | Glasgow Coma Scale | Consciousness state; score out of 15 |
| qds (or) qid | Four times a day | |
| GI or GIT | Gastro Intestinal/Tract | Refers to the oesophagus, stomach and intestines |
| GORD | Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease | Back flow of stomach acid into the gullet |
| GTN | Glyceryl Trinitrate | Medicine for Angina |
| GTT | Glucose Tolerance Test | |
| GU or GUT or GUS | Genito Urinary/Tract/ System | Relating to kidneys, bladder & genitals |
| GU | Gastric Ulcer | Ulcer in stomach |
| GUM | Genito-Urinary Medicine | For sexually transmitted diseases/infections |
H
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| HAART/ART | High Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy / Anti-Retroviral Therapy | Drug combinations used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS |
| HAV | Hepatitis A Virus | |
| Hb | Haemoglobin | A measure of blood count (eg in Anaemia) |
| (HbA1C) | Glycosylated Haemoglobin test | |
| HBV | Hepatitis B Virus | |
| hCG | Human chorionic gonadotrophin sometimes called ‘beta’ human chorionic gonadotrophin (βhCG) | |
| HCV | Hepatitis C Virus | |
| Hg | Murcury | mm.Hg units for measuring blood pressure |
| HH | Hiatus Hernia | Part of stomach displaced above diaphragm |
| HI | Head Injury | |
| HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus | The causative organism in AIDS. |
| HME | Heat and moisture exchanger | |
| HNPU | Has Not Passed Urine | |
| HO | History Of | |
| HPC | History Of Present Complaint | |
| HPV | Human papilloma virus | |
| HR | Heart Rate | |
| HS | Heart Sounds | |
| HT | Height | |
| Hx | History (of complaint) |
I
| Abbreviations | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| IBS | Irritable Bowel Syndrome | |
| ICU | Intensive Care Unit | |
| IDDM | Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus | |
| IDK | Internal Derangement of the Knee | |
| IGT or IGTN | In Growing Toenail | |
| IH | Inguinal Hernia | |
| IHD | Ischaemic Heart Disease | |
| IM | Intra-Muscular | |
| IMB | Intermenstrual Bleeding | Vaginal bleeding between periods |
| IP | Inpatient | |
| IPAP | Inspiratory Positive Airways Pressure | |
| IPPB | Intermittent Positive Pressure Breathing | |
| ISQ | "In Status Quo" - Nothing has Changed | |
| IQ | Intelligence Quota | A psychometric test used to assess intelligence. The average IQ is 100. |
| ITP | Autoimmune idiopathic thrombocytopaenic purpura | |
| IV | Intravenous | |
| IVP | Intravenous Pyelogram | X-ray of kidneys using an injected dye |
| Ix | Investigations |
J
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| JVP | Jugular Venous Pressure | Pressure in right side of heart assessed by pulsation in neck veins |
K
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| KJ/KR | Knee Jerk/Reflex | |
| K+ | Serum potassium level | |
| KUB | Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder | X-ray or ultrasound of renal track (IVP) |
L
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| LBP | Low Back Pain | |
| lcSSc | Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis | |
| LDH | Lactate dehydrogenase | |
| LFTs | Liver Function Tests | Blood tests for liver function |
| LIF | Left Iliac Fossa | Left groin |
| LIH | Left Inguinal Hernia | Hernia of left groin |
| LKKS | Liver, kidney, kidney, spleen | Result of examination |
| LOC | Loss of Consciousness | |
| LN | Lymph Node | |
| LP | Lumbar puncture | Needle inserted into the spine for diagnostic purposes |
| L/R/ IH | Left or Right Inguinal Hernia | Hernia of groins |
| LS | Lymphatic System | |
| LSCS or LUSCS | Lower (Uterine) Segment Caesarean section | |
| LTOT | Long Term Oxygen Therapy | |
| LUQ | Left Upper Quadrant | Left upper part of abdomen |
| LVF | Left Ventricular Failure |
M
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| Mane | In the Morning | |
| M&C (S) | Microscopy & Culture Sensitivity of Bacteria | Of a sample e.g. urine |
| MCL | Mid Clavicular Line | An imaginary line down the body from the middle of the collarbone |
| MCV | Mean Corpuscular Volume | A measure of the size of red blood cells |
| ME | Myalgic Encephalomyelitis | Also called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| MET/S | Metastases | Cancer spread to other organs |
| MI | Myocardial Infarction OR Mitral Incompetence | Heart attack OR leaking heart valve (=MR) |
| mitte or mite | Dispense this number of tablets | |
| MMSE | Mini Mental Score Examination | |
| MND | Motor Neurone Disease | |
| MR | Mitral Regurgitation | Leaking heart valve (=MI) |
| MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imaging | Body/Brain Scan |
| MS | Multiple Sclerosis OR Mitral Stenosis | Mitral Stenosis is a narrowed heart valve |
| MSS | Musculo-Skeletal System | |
| MSE | Mental State Examination | |
| MSU or MSSU | Mid-Stream Urine Sample | |
| MUA | Manipulation Under Anaesthetic | |
| Mx | Management or treatment |
N
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| NAD | Nothing Abnormal Discovered | |
| NAI | Non-Accidental Injury | |
| NASH | Non alcoholic steatohepatitis | |
| NBI | No Bone Injury | |
| NIAV | Non-invasive Assisted Ventilation | |
| NIDDM | Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus | |
| NIPPV | Non-invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation or Nasal Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation | |
| Nocte | At Night | |
| NFR | Not For Resuscitation | |
| N&V | Nausea & Vomiting | |
| NSAID | Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug |
O
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| O2 | Oxygen | |
| OA | Osteoarthritis | Degenerative arthritis |
| OCD | Obsessive compulsive disorder | |
| OC/COC | ( Combined) Oral Contracepti ve | |
| OCT | Orthotopic Cardiac Transplant | Heart Transplant |
| o.d. | Once a Day | |
| OD | Overdose | |
| O/E or o.e | On Examination | |
| OGD | Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy | Fibreoptic examination of stomach and gullet |
| OGTT | Oral Glucose Tolerance Test | |
| on | At Night | |
| om | In the Morning | |
| OM (R/L) | Otitis Media | Middle ear infection |
| OP | Out-Patient | |
| ORIF | Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (of fracture) | Operation to set a broken bone |
| otc | Over the counter (bought medication) |
P
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| P | Pulse | |
| PACS | Picture Archiving and Communication System | |
| PBC | Primary biliary cirrhosis | |
| PCB | Post Coital Bleeding | Vaginal bleeding after intercourse |
| PCC | Post Coital Contraception | "Morning after" pill |
| PDA | Patent ductus arteriosus | |
| PE | Pulmonary Embolism | Blood clot on the lung |
| PEG | Percutaneous Gastrostomy | |
| PERLA | Pupils equal and react to light and accommodation | On examination of nervous system/eyes |
| PET | Positron Emission Tomography scan | |
| PF(R) | Peak Flow (Rate) | Breathing test – rate of expiration |
| PFT | Pulmonary Function Test | |
| PID | Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ORProlapsed Intervertebral Disc | Gynaecological infection ORSlipped Disc |
| PKU | Phenylketonuria | A Metabolic disease |
| PM | Post mortem examination | |
| PMH also PHx | Previous Medical History | |
| PMR | Polymyalgia Rheumatica | |
| PN | Percussion Note | |
| PND | Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnoea | Short of breath at night |
| PO | Per Orim | By Mouth |
| POP | Progesterone Only Pill ORPlaster of Paris | MinipillCast |
| PPs | Peripheral pulses | Pulses felt for example in the feet, ankles etc… |
| PR | Per Rectum or Pulse Rate | Rectal examination |
| PRN | As Required | |
| PTCA | Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty | Opening up the main arteries of the heart using a balloon inserted usually near the groin |
| PTSD | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | |
| PU | Peptic Ulcer OR Passed urine | Peptic Ulcer – Stomach or Duodenal Ulcer |
| PV | Per Vagina | Vaginal examination |
| PVD | Peripheral Vascular Disease | Furring up (atherosclerosis) of the blood vessels of the limbs |
R
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| R (R) | Respiration (Rate) | Rate of breathing in breaths per minute |
| RA | Rheumatoid Arthritis | |
| RAST | Radioallergosorbent Test | |
| RBC | Red Blood Cell | |
| RDS | Respiratory Distress Syndrome | Difficulty in breathing – usually in premature babies |
| RFTs | Renal (Kidney) Function tests OR Respiratory Function tests |
|
| RIF | Right Iliac Fossa | Right groin |
| RIH | Right Inguinal Hernia | Hernia in right groin |
| R/L | Right/Left | |
| R/L HC | Right/Left Hypochondrium | Right/Left upper abdomen |
| R/LIF | Right/Left Iliac fossa | Right/Left groin |
| R/LOL or RLOP | Right/Left occipito lateral / posterior | Position of baby’s head in womb |
| RNA | Ribonucleic acid | |
| RS | Respiratory System | |
| RSI | Repetitive Strain Injury | Usually of wrist |
| RTA | Road Traffic Accident | |
| RUQ | Right Upper Quadrant | Right upper abdomen |
| Rx | Prescription or Treatment | Usually prescription |
S
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| SBG | Serum Blood Glucose | Blood Sugar Level |
| SC | Subcutaneous | Injections |
| SH | Social history | |
| SI | Sacro-IIiac | Back Joint |
| SJ/SR | Supinator Jerk /Reflex | Hitting the wrist with a patella hammer to test reflexes |
| SLE | Systemic Lupus Erythematosis | Connective tissue disorder |
| SLR | Straight Leg Raising | |
| SMI | Severely Mentally Impaired | |
| SMR | Submucosal Resection | Nasal operation |
| SOB | Short of Breath | |
| SOL | Space Occupying Lesion | Tumour, usually of head |
| SOM | Secretory Otitis Media | Middle ear infection/glue ear |
| SOS | In an Emergency | |
| SR | Sinus rhythm | Normal heart beat |
| SSRIs | Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors | |
| Stat | Immediately | |
| STD | Sexually Transmitted Disease | A disease contracted through sexual contact. |
| STI | Sexually Transmitted Infection | |
| SVD | Spontaneous Vertex Delivery | Normal delivery |
| SVT | Supraventricular tachcardia | Fast heart rate |
| Sx | Symptoms | |
| SXR | Skull X-ray |
T
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| TAH | Total abdominal hysterectomy | |
| TJ/TR | Triceps Jerk/Reflex | Hitting the back of the elbow with a patella hammer to test reflexes |
| T | Temperature | |
| T (usually with a circle with a dot in the centre) | Trachea Central | Breathing tube not displaced. If displaced, direction of displacement usually indicated by an arrow |
| TATT | Tired all the Time | |
| TB | Tuberculosis | |
| TCI | To come in-date or fact that a person is due to be admitted to hospital | |
| tds (or) tid | Three Times a Day | |
| TEP | Tracheo-oesophageal puncture | |
| TFTs | Thyroid Function Tests | |
| THR | Total Hip Replacement | |
| TIA | Transient Ischaemic Attack | Small, short lived stroke – often recurrent |
| TKR | Total Knee Replacement | |
| TLC | Tender Loving Care | Treat only with symptom relief and nursing care, usually meaning that this is all that is needed. |
| TM or Tm | Tympanic Membrane | Ear drum |
| TNM | Tumor Node Metastasis | |
| TPN | Total Parenteral Nutrition | |
| TPR | Temperature, Pulse and Respiration | |
| Ts&As | Tonsilectomy and Adenoidectomy | |
| TSH | Thyroid Stimulating Hormone | |
| TShR | Total Shoulder Replacement | |
| TTO/A | To take home/away (medication) | |
| TU(R)P | Transurethral (resection) of Prostate | Operation on the prostate gland carried out through the penis |
U
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| UC | Ulcerative Colitis | |
| U&Es | Urea and Electrolytes | Blood test for kidney function |
| US | Ultrasound | |
| USS | Ultra Sound Scan | |
| UTI | Urinary Tract Infection | |
| UV | Ultraviolet |
V
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| VF | Ventricular Fibrillation | Rapid uncoordinated heart beat usually leading to collapse, and need for defibrillation (electric heart shock) |
| VIP hormone | Vasoactive intestinal peptide hormone | |
| VSD | Ventriculoseptal defect | |
| V/S/TOP | Vaginal suction termination of pregnancy | |
| VT | Ventricular Tachycardia | Fast heart beat |
W
| Abbreviation | Translation | Further Information |
|---|---|---|
| wbc |
White Blood Cell Count | |
| Wt | Weight |
Amended November 2008
