List of medical abbreviations

Medical abbreviations are a shorthand way of writing and talking by medical professionals (people who work to help sick people) to hurry explanation of diseases (sickness), patients, or medicines (drugs).

This shorthand can include shortening (making less lengthy) of longer disease names, by cutting the word down to its base (the Latin or Greek part that makes it). Medical professionals also create (make) words that mean something. An example of this is "stat", used to indicate (show) that something needs to be hurried (done faster). It is from the Latin "base word" statim, meaning quick. A very commonly (often) used shorthand is shortening things on order forms for patients. An example is, "pre-op" meaning |pre-operation| (patient who is being prepared for surgery). These can be very complicated and extensive (meaning there is a lot of them).

Despite the fact that this shorthand might make it difficult for new Interns (new doctors) or recently trained nurses to get used to this unofficial language, it has been shown to improve (make better) the speed of treatment in hospitals.

Medical authorities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere have questioned the use of medical shorthand; believing that it can lead to mistakes being made due to less clear communication and have advised doctors to avoid its use.

Medications

How to take medications
Medications can be given in different ways (routes).  Abbreviations for the most common routes are:

 Abbreviation: Means the medication is taken: PO  Per os - By mouth (swallowed) IM  Intramuscularly - injected into a muscle INH  Inhaled (breathed in)  IV  Intravenously (injected into a vein) PR  "Per rectum" (placed into the rectum)SC, SQ, Sub-q  "Subcutaneous" (injected under the skin)

When to take medications
Doctors use many different abbreviations to say when to take a medication.  It is helpful to remember that doctors use the letter "q" to stand for "every."  For example, "qAM" stands for "every AM" (morning).

Here are some of the most common:

 Abbreviation: This Means the Medicine Should Be Taken: qAM  Every morning qPM  Every evening qHS  At bedtime  prn  As needed (the person should take the medication only when they need it) qd  Once a day bid  Twice a day tid  Three times a day qid  Four times a day qod  Every other day qwk  Every week qmo  Every month

Drugs & medications
Some drugs and medications have common abbreviations.  Here are some examples:

 Abbreviation: Stands For: Notes APAP  Acetaminophen  Common brand name: Tylenol ASA  Aspirin "ASA" is short for Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin's original name) ETOH  Alcohol  Stands for ethanol (drinking alcohol) MVI  Multivitamin  A set of vitamins in one pill NSAID  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug  Pronounced "en-sed"; examples are ibuprofen and aspirin NTG  Nitroglycerin  Used for heart attacks and other problems; also called "nitro" OBC  Oral birth control  Birth control taken as a pill (also called OC: oral contraceptive) OTC  An over-the-counter drug  Can be bought without a doctor's prescription PCP  Phencyclidine  An illegal drug that causes hallucinations SSRI  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor  A type of antidepressant; examples are Prozac and Paxil

About the body
Common abbreviations that have to do with the human body include:

 Abbreviation: Stands For: Meaning BP  Blood pressure  A measure of how hard the heart is working HR  Heart rate  How many times the heart beats in one minute O2  Oxygen  Pronounced "oh-too" O2 sats  Oxygen saturation  A measure of how much oxygen a person is getting RBC  Red blood cells  The cells in the blood that carry oxygen RR  Respiratory rate  How many times a person breathes in one minute VS  Vital signs  A patient's blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature WBC  White blood cells  The cells in the blood that fight infection WNL  Within Normal Limits  Normal for the patient's age and gender(Example: "VS WNL" means "vital signs are normal for this patient")

Medical specialties
There are many different kinds of medical specialties.  These are kinds of doctors that treat people with certain kinds of problems.  Abbreviations for medical specialties include:

 Abbreviation: Stands For: Meaning ENT  Ears, Nose, and Throat  Treats problems with the ears, nose, and throat ER  Emergency room  Treats medical emergencies GI  Gastrointestinal  Treats problems with the gastrointestinal tract GU  Genitourinary  Treats problems with the genitals or the urinary system GYN  Gynecology  Treats and prevents problems with a woman's reproductive system Hem/Onc  Hematology/Oncology  Treats blood disorders and cancer (pronounced "HEEM-onk") ICU  Intensive Care Unit  A special hospital unit for very sick people Neuro  Neurology  Involves the nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves) (pronounced "NURR-oh") OB  Obstetrics  The medical specialty that treats women while they are pregnant and giving birth OR  Operating room  Part of the hospital where surgery is done Ortho  Orthopedics  Treats problems with the bones, like broken bones Pedi  Pediatrics  Pediatric doctors (pediatricians) treat children (pronounced "PEE-dee")PathPathologyHelps diagnose problems based on patient specimens

Health problems
Many health problems have common abbreviations.  For example:

 Abbreviation: Stands For: A Problem With: Meaning/Notes A-fib  Atrial fibrillation  Heart  A type of abnormal heartbeat where the heart beats quickly and irregularly CA  Cancer   A group of diseases caused by abnormal cells growing out of control CAD  Coronary artery disease  Heart  The arteries that bring blood to the heart get blocked off and cannot bring enough blood to the heart CHF  Congestive heart failure  Heart  The heart cannot pump enough blood to the body COPD  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease  Lungs  A group of chronic diseases that make it hard to breathe CVA  Cerebrovascular accident  Brain  Stroke DM  Diabetes mellitus  Metabolism  See also diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) and diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) DJD  Degenerative Joint Disease  Joints  Arthritis DVT  Deep vein thrombosis  Blood clotting  A blood clot, usually in a big vein in the leg HTN  Hypertension  Circulatory system  High blood pressure IDDM  Insulin-Dependent Diabetes  Metabolism  Diabetes that needs to be treated with insulin (usually type 1 diabetes) Mets  Metastasis  Cancer  The original cancer has spread to another place in the body MI  Myocardial infarction  Heart  Heart attack (also called AMI, for "acute myocardial infarction") NIDDM  Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes  Metabolism  Diabetes that does not need to be treated with insulin (usually type 2 diabetes) OD  Overdose   Taking too much medication or drugs, either accidentally or on purpose SOB  Shortness of Breath  Breathing  Having trouble breathing TIA  Transient ischemic attack  Brain  A small stroke that does not leave any permanent brain damage V-fib  Ventricular fibrillation  Heart  The heart quivers and twitches, and cannot pump blood to the body V-tach  Ventricular tachycardia  Heart  The heart beats too fast to pump blood to the body; pronounced "V-tack"

Infections
Common abbreviations for infections include:

 Abbreviation: Stands For: Meaning/Notes C. diff  Clostridium difficile infection  Bacteria attack the intestines; many antibiotics will not kill C. diff (pronounced "SEE-diff") HCV  Hepatitis C virus  A chronic infection of the liver HIV  Human immunodeficiency virus  The virus that causes AIDS HPV  Human papillomavirus  A virus that can cause cancer MRSA  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus  A bacterial infection that many antibiotics will not kill (pronounced "MURR-suh") PID  Pelvic inflammatory disease  An infection of a woman's reproductive system STI  Sexually transmitted infection  Used to be called "STD" (sexually transmitted disease) TB  Tuberculosis  An infection of the lungs URI  Upper respiratory infection  An infection of the upper respiratory tract; examples are the common cold and sinus infections UTI  Urinary tract infection  An infection of the bladder or kidneys

Mental health problems
Common abbreviations for mental health problems include:

 Abbreviation: Stands For: Meaning/Notes ADHD  Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder  Used to be called ADD (Attention-deficit disorder) ASD  Autism spectrum disorder  A group of disorders, including autism and Asperger syndrome GAD  Generalized anxiety disorder  Causes a person to feel very anxious and worried, most of the time OCD  Obsessive-compulsive disorder  An anxiety disorder that causes unwanted thoughts and actions ODD  Oppositional defiant disorder  A pattern of angry behavior, arguing, and causing trouble PTSD  Post-traumatic stress disorder  Caused by psychological trauma SI  Suicidal ideation  When a person thinks about killing themselves

Tests & treatments
Doctors often talk about common medical tests and treatments by using abbreviations.  Examples of these abbreviations include:

 Abbreviation: Stands For: Meaning CABG  Coronary artery bypass graft  Surgery to treat blocked arteries that bring blood to the heart; pronounced "cabbage" CBC  Complete Blood Count  A basic blood test that counts the number of blood cells in a person's blood CPR  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation  Emergency treatment done when a person's heart or breathing stops CT  Computed tomography scan  Uses X-rays to make a 3-D picture of the inside of the body; also called a "CAT scan" ECG; EKG  Electrocardiogram  Test of the heart's electrical activity Echo  Echocardiogram  Test that uses sound waves to make a picture of the heart and whether it is working normally EEG  Electroencephalogram  Test of the brain's electrical activity LFTs  Liver function tests  Tests of how well the liver is working (usually blood tests) MRI  Magnetic resonance imaging  Uses a very strong magnet to make a 3-D picture of the inside of the body XRT  X-ray Therapy  Usually means radiation therapy for cancer

Other abbreviations
Other abbreviations used in medicine include:

 Abbreviation: Stands For: MeaningHxHistoryExample: "Patient has a family Hx of diabetes" means "Patient has a family history of diabetes" a  Before  Example: "Take a 8:00" means "Take (this medication) before 8:00" AMA  Against Medical Advice  The patient has chosen to not comply with a treatment plan (example: "patient left the hospital AMA") BMI  Body Mass Index  A measure of how much a person weighs based on their height c  With  Example: "Take c food" means "Take (this medication) with food" DNR  Do Not Resuscitate The patient has a Do Not Resuscitate order saying they do not want to be resuscitated if their heart stops Dx  Diagnosis  The medical problem a person has NKDA  No known drug allergies  If the person has a drug allergy, we don't know about it. The person has no drug allergies we know about. NPO  Nothing by mouth  The patient should not swallow anything (no food, liquids, or medications) p  After  Example: "Patient had pain p eating" means "Patient had pain after eating"s̅WithoutExample: "Nausea s̅ vomiting" means "Patient was nauseous but did not vomit'TxTreatmentExample: "Tx was administered at 8:00am" means "Treatment was administered at 8:00am"

References

Category:Medicine
Category:Science-related lists
Category:Glossaries