# List of medical abbreviations: R

| Abbreviation | Meaning |
| R | respiration, (right) |
| RA | refractory anemia rheumatoid arthritis right atrium room air |
| RAD | reflex anal dilatation right axis deviation reactive airway disease radiation absorbed dose reactive attachment disorder |
| Rad hys | radical hysterectomy |
| RAE | right atrial enlargement |
| RAI | radioactive iodine |
| RAIU | thyroid reactive iodine uptake |
| RAPD | relative afferent pupillary defect |
| RAS | renal artery stenosis |
| RATLH | Robotic assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy |
| RATVH | Radical Total Vaginal Hysterectomy |
| RBBB | right bundle branch block |
| RBC | red blood cells, red blood count |
| RBE | relative biologic equivalent |
| RBLM | recurrent benign lymphocytic meningitis |
| RCA | right coronary artery |
| RCC | renal cell carcinoma |
| RCM | restrictive cardiomyopathy right costal margin |
| RCR | rotator cuff repair |
| RCT | randomized controlled trial |
| RD | retinal detachment |
| RDS | respiratory distress syndrome (see also infant respiratory distress syndrome) |
| RDW | red cell distribution width |
| REI | Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility |
| REM | rapid eye movement roentgen equivalent man |
| RF | rheumatoid factor rheumatic fever Renal Failure |
| RFA | Radiofrequency ablation |
| RFLP | restriction fragment length polymorphism |
| RFT | renal function test |
| r/g/m | rubs/gallops/murmurs (see heart sounds) |
| Rh | rhesus factor |
| Rhabdo | Rhabdomyolysis |
| RHC | right heart catheterization |
| RHD | Rheumatic heart disease |
| RhF | rheumatoid factor |
| RIA | radioimmunoassay |
| RIBA | radioimmunoblotting assay |
| RICE | rest, ice, compression, and elevation (treatment for a soft tissue injury) |
| RIF | rifampin |
| RIMA | reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A |
| RIND | reversible ischemic neurologic deficit |
| RL | Ringer's lactate (that is, lactated Ringer's solution) |
| RLE | right lower extremity |
| RLL | right lower lobe (of lung) |
| RLN | recurrent laryngeal nerve; regional lymph node |
| RLQ | right lower quadrant (of abdomen) |
| R&M | Routine + microscopic (General analysis of urine) |
| RML | right middle lobe (of lung) |
| RMS | rhabdomyosarcoma |
| RMSF | rocky mountain spotted fever |
| RNA | ribonucleic acid |
| RNP | ribonucleoprotein |
| RNV | radionuclide ventriculography |
| RNY | Roux-en-Y anastomosis |
| R/O | rule out |
| ROA | right occipital anterior (see childbirth) |
| ROH | removal of hardware |
| ROM | range of motion rupture of membranes |
| ROP | right occipital posterior (see childbirth) retinopathy of prematurity |
| ROS | review of systems |
| ROSC | return of spontaneous circulation |
| ROW | Rest of the Week; as in, "Take 2 mg on Monday and 1 mg ROW" |
| RPGN | rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis |
| RPLND | retroperitoneal lymph node dissection |
| RPR | rapid plasma reagin test |
| RR | respiratory rate blood pressure measured with a specific sphygmomanometer relative risk |
| RRMS | relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis |
| RRP | Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis |
| RRR | regular rate and rhythm (see pulse) |
| RRT | Renal replacement therapy |
| r/r/w | rales, rhonchi, wheezes (lung sounds) |
| RS cell | Reed–Sternberg cell |
| RSB | Right sternal border |
| RSI | rapid sequence induction |
| RSV | respiratory syncytial virus |
| R/t | related to |
| RT | radiotherapy respiratory therapy reverse transcriptase |
| RT-PCR | reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction |
| RTA | renal tubular acidosis |
| RTC | return to clinic (appointment for outpatient for next medical examination) |
| RTS | Revised Trauma Score |
| RTV | ritonavir |
| RUE | right upper extremity |
| RUL | right upper lobe (of lung) |
| RUQ | right upper quadrant (see also regions of the abdomen) |
| RUTI | recurrent urinary tract infection |
| RV | residual volume right ventricle review |
| RVAD | right ventricular assist device |
| RVF | right ventricular failure, or rectovaginal fistula |
| RVH | right ventricular hypertrophy |
| RVR | rapid ventricular rate (tachycardia) |
| RVSP | right ventricular systolic pressure |
| RVT | renal vein thrombosis |
| RW | rolling walker |
| Rx or ℞ or R$_x$ | (R with crossed tail) medical prescription, prescription drug, or remedy |
| RXN | reaction |