Medical Abbreviations & Hieroglyphs
Below you can find a list of abbreviations used in medicine.
+++ | Much / many / present in excess | |
# | Fracture | |
∆ | Diagnosis | |
Diff ∆ or ∆∆ | Differential diagnosis | |
Px | Nil / nothing / no | |
J° | No jaundice | |
↑ | Up / increasing | |
N, → | Down, decreasing | |
┴ | Central (of the trachea) | |
1/7 | One day | |
2/52 | Two weeks | |
3/12 | 3 months | |
T38.6° | Temperature 38.6 | |
T-14 | Term (ie baby’s due date) less 2 weeks | |
T+7 | Term plus 1 week | |
35+4/40 | 35 weeks & 4 days | |
37+3/40 | 37 weeks and 3 days | |
= | Equivalent to | |
3 | OK or satisfactory | |
AAL | Anterior axillary line | |
ABG | Arterial Blood Gas (also ‘SATs) | Blood test to see how much oxygen there is in the blood (percentage saturation with oxygen) |
ACTH | Adrenocorticotropic hormone | |
AE | Air entry | |
AF | Atrial Fibrillation | Irregular heartbeat |
AFB | Acid fast bacillus 9tbO | |
AFP | Alpha-fetoprotein | Maternal serum and occasionally amniotic fluid levels tested in pregnancy to screen for neural tube defect in fetus |
AJ | Ankle jerk | Reflex; see also BJ, KJ, SJ, TJ |
Anti-D | Type of gamma globulin | Must be given by injection to Rhesus negative mother who delivers/aborts Rhesus positive baby to prevent mother developing antibodies which could damage a subsequent Rhesus positive baby. |
Apgar | Apgar score | Means of recording baby’s condition at birth by observing and scoring (0, 1 or 2) 5 parameters |
A/V | Anteverted | |
Bd / bid | Twice a day | |
BJ | Biceps jerk | Hitting the arm with a patella hammer to test reflexes |
BNF | British National Formulary | Prescriber’s bible supplied free to all NHS doctors. New edition each year. |
BO | Bowels open | |
BNO | Bowels not opened | |
BOR | Bowels opened regularly | |
BP + date | British Pharmacopoeia | |
BP | Blood pressure | |
BPd | Diastolic Blood Pressure | The lower blood pressure (heart relaxed) |
BPs | Systolic Blood Pressure | The higher blood pressure (heart contracted) |
BS | Breath sounds | |
Bowel sounds | ||
Blood sugar | ||
C | With (Latin, cum) | |
C2H5OH | Alcohol | |
Ca | (a) Carcinoma / cancer | |
(b) Calcium | ||
Caps | Capsules | |
CAT scan | Computed axial tomograph | |
CNS | Central nervous system | |
CFS | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Also called ME |
CO | Complaining of | |
CO2 | Carbon Dioxide | |
COETT | Cuffed oral endotracheal tube (see COT & ETT) |
|
COT | Cuffed oral tube | Endotracheal tube used for ventilating a patient who cannot breath unaided |
CPD | Cephalo-pelvic disproportion | Baby too big to fit through pelvis |
CRP | C-reactive protein | |
CSF | Cerebro-spinal fluid | |
CT or CAT | Computerised Axial Tomography | Body Scan |
CTG | Cardiotacograph | Trace during labour of baby’s heart and mum’s contractions |
CVA | Cardio-vascular accident | Stroke |
CVS | Cardio-vascular system | |
Cx | Cervix or cervical spine | |
CXR | Chest X-ray | |
DH | Drug history | |
DNA | (a) Did not attend | |
(b) Deoxyribonucleic acid | ||
DNR | Do not resuscitate | |
D & V | Diarrhoea and vomiting | |
DOA | Dead on arrival | |
DVT | Deep vein thrombosis | |
Dx | Diagnosis | |
EGG | Electro-cardiogram | Electric heart recording |
ECT | Electro-convulsive therapy | |
EDC | Expected date of confinement | |
EDO | Expected date of delivery | |
EEC | Electroencephalogram | Brain scan |
ENT | Ear, nose & throat | |
ERCP | Endoscopic retrograde choledochopancreatico/graphy/scopy |
|
ERPC | Evacuation of retained products of conception |
|
ESR | Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (blood) | |
EtOH | Another code for alcohol | |
ETT | Endotracheal tube | |
FBC | Full blood count | |
FBS | Full blood sampling (carried out during labour to check baby’s condition) |
|
FH | Family history | |
FHH | Fetal heart heard | |
FHHR | Fetal heart heard regular | |
FHR | Fetal heart rate | |
FLK | Funny looking kid | |
FMF | Fetal movements felt | |
FROM | Full range of movement | |
FSE | Fetal scalp electrode | |
FSH | (a) Family and social history
(b) Follicle stimulating hormone |
(a) Family and social history |
FTT | Failure to thrive | |
Fx | Fracture | |
GA | General anaesthetic | |
GCS | Glasgow Coma Scale | |
GFR | Glomerular filtration rate | |
GIT | Gastro-intestinal tract | |
GTT | Glucose tolerance test | |
GUT | Genito-urinary tract | |
Hb | Haemoglobin | |
HBP | High Blood Pressure | |
HNPU | Has not passed urine | |
HPC | History of presenting complaint | |
HR | Heart rate | |
HS | Heart sounds | |
HVS | High vaginal swab | |
Hx | History | |
ICS | Intercostal space | Usually as xICS, where x= a number from 1 to 11 |
IJ | Internal jugular vein | |
IM | Intramuscular | |
IVI | Intravenous infusion (drip) | |
JVP | Jugular vein pressure | |
K | Potassium | |
KJ | Knee jerk | |
kPa | Kilopascal, approximately 7.5mmHg | |
L | Litre | |
LA | Local anaesthetic | |
LFTs | Liver function tests | Blood tests for liver function |
LIH | Left inguinal hernia | |
LMP | Last menstrual period | |
LN | Lymph node | |
LOA | Left occiput anterior | Position of baby’s head at delivery; see also LOP, ROA, ROP |
LOC | Loss of consciousness | |
LOL | Left occipitolateral | |
LOP | Left occiput posterior | |
LSCS | Lower segment caesarian section | The “normal” type of caesarian |
LSKK | Liver, spleen and kidneys | |
Mcg | Microgram | |
MCL | Midclavicular line | An imaginary line down the body from the middle of the collarbone to the described area |
MCV | Mean corpuscular volume | A measure of the size of red blood cells |
ME | Myalgic Encephalomyletis | Also called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
Μg | Microgram | |
mg | Milligram | |
MI | Myocardial Infarction | |
mist | Mixture | |
ml | Millilitre | |
mmHg | Millimetres of mercury (pressure) | |
mMol | Millimole | |
MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imaging | Body / Brain scan |
N & V | Nausea and vomiting | |
Na | Sodium | |
NaCHO3 | Sodium bicarbonate | Alkaline substance; inter alia given to counteract metabolic acidosis following oxygen deprivation |
NAD | Nothing abnormal diagnosed / detected | |
NAI | Non-accidental Injury | |
NBM | Nil by mouth | |
NBI | No bone injury | |
NFR | Not for resuscitation | |
ng | Nanogram | |
NG | Carcinoma (neoplastic growth) | |
NLM | Nice looking mother | |
NMCS | No malignant cells seen | |
NOF | Neck of femur | |
N/S | Normal size | |
O2 | Oxygen | |
OA | Occipito-anterior | |
o.d | Once a day | |
OE | On examination | |
Om | In the morning | |
On | At night | |
OP | Occipito-posterior | |
P | Pulse | |
Π | Period | |
Pco2 | Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (normally in blood) |
|
PERLA | Pupils are equal and react to light and accommodation |
|
PE | (a) pulmonary embolism
(b) Pre eclampsia |
|
PET | Pre-eclamptic toxaemia | |
PFR | Peak Flow Rate | Breathing test – speed of expiration |
pg | Picogram | |
pH | Negative low of hydrogen ion activity: | Acidity and alkalinity scale. Low is acidic, high is alkaline. pH7 is about neutral. |
PH | Past/previous history | |
PID | (a) Pelvic inflammatory disease
(b) Prolapsed invertebral disc |
|
PMH or PHx | Past medical history | |
PN (R) | percussio note (resonant) | |
PO2 | Partial pressure of oxygen (normally in blood) |
|
POH | Past obstetric history | |
po | per os (by mouth) | |
pr | per rectum | |
prn | As required, of eg, pain killers | |
pv | per vaginam | |
RBC | Red blood cell (erythrocyte) | |
Rh | Rhesus blood type | Can cause problems in pregnancy if mother is Rhesus negative and father is Rhesus positive |
RIH | Right inguinal hernia | |
ROA | Right occiput anterior | |
ROL | Right occiput lateral | |
ROM | Range of movement | |
ROP | Right occiput posterior | |
RS | Respiratory system | |
RTI | Respiratory tract infection | |
Rx | Prescription or treatment | |
s | Without (latin sine) | |
S/B | Seen by | |
S/D | Systolic/diastolic (heart & circulation) |
|
SH | Social history | |
SJ | Supinator jerk | |
SOA | Swelling of ankles | |
SOB (OE) | Short of breath (on exertion) | |
SOS | (a) si opus sit (if necessary)
(b) see other sheet |
|
SROM | Spontaneous rupture of membranes (labour) | |
SVC | Superior vena cava | |
SVD | Spontaneous vaginal delivery | |
SVT | Supraventricular tachycardia | |
TCI 2/52 | To come in, in 2 weeks time | |
TGH | To go home | |
THR | Total hip replacement | |
TIA | Transient ischaemic attack | |
TJ | Triceps jerk | |
TVF | Tactile vocal fremitus | |
U & E | Urea and electrolytes (biochemical tests) | |
URTI | Upper respiratory tract infection | |
USS | Ultrasound Scan | |
VE | Vaginal examination | |
VF | Ventricular fibrillation | |
VT | Ventricular tachycardia | |
V/V | Vulva and vagina | |
WBC | White blood corpuscle / white blood cell count |
|
XR | X-ray |
For online resources see:
Some free material but access to the
abbreviation database requires a subscription of $15 pa.
http://www.globalrph.com/abbrev.htm
Free alphabetical list of common medical
abbreviations.
15 page medical abbreviation summary.
http://www.jdmd.com/abbreviations-glossary.asp