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.^[1]

Medications

How to take medications

Medications can be given in different ways (routes). Abbreviations for the most common routes are:^[2]

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).^[2]

Here are some of the most common:^[2]

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:^[3]

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:^[4]

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:^[4]

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")
Path	Pathology	Helps diagnose problems based on patient specimens

Health problems

Many health problems have common abbreviations. For example:^[5][4]

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:^[5][4]

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:^[4]

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:^[4][2]

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:^[4]

Abbreviation:	Stands For:	Meaning
Hx	History	Example: "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"
s̅	Without	Example: "Nausea s̅ vomiting" means "Patient was nauseous but did not vomit'
Tx	Treatment	Example: "Tx was administered at 8:00am" means "Treatment was administered at 8:00am"