MEDICAL ABBREVIATIONS

AND ACRONYMS

AB
abortion
Abd
abdomen
ABG
arterial
blood
gas
Abn
abnormal
ac
before
eating
acc
accident
ADL
activities
of
daily
living
ADR
adverse
drug
reaction.
ad
lib
as
much
as
needed
AE
above
elbow
AIDS
acquired
immunodeficiency
syndrome
AF
afebrile
AGA
appropriate
gestational
age
AK
above
knee
AKA
above
the
knee
amputation
amb
ambulate
AMI
acute
myocardial
infarction
AML
acute
myeloid
leukemia
ant
anterior
anxty
anxiety
A/O
alert
and
oriented
AOB
alcohol
on
breath
AP
antero-posterior
APL
anteroposterior
&
lateral
ARD
acute
respiratory
distress
ARF
acute
renal
failure
AS
left
ear
ASAP
as
soon
as
possible
AU
both
ears
A&W
alive
&
well
Ax
axillary

BE
below
elbow
bid
twice
a
day
bilat
bilateral
bin
twice
a
night
biw
twice
weekly
BK
below
knee
BKA
below
the
knee
amputation
BM
bowel
movement
BOW
bag
of
water
BP
blood
pressure
BPM
beats
per
minute
BRP
bathroom
privileges

BS
breath
sounds
BSA
body
surface
BW
body
weight
BX
biopsy

C
centigrade
C&S
culture
and
sensitivity
CA
cancer
Caps
capsule
CAD
coronary
artery
disease
CBC
complete
blood
count
CBR
complete
bedrest
CC
chief
complaint
CHF
congestive
heart
failure
chol
cholesterol
chr
chronic
cm
centimeter
cnst
constipation
COPD
chronic
obstructive
pulmonary
disease
CP
cerebral
palsy
CPR
cardiopulmonary
resuscitation
CRF
chronic
renal
failure
CS
cesarean
section
CSF
cerebrospinal
fluid
CT
computerized
tomography
CVA
cerebrovascular
accident
CXR
chest
X-ray

d/c
discontinue
D&C
dilation
and
curettage
decr
decrease(d)
dehyd
dehydrated
disch
discharge
DKA
diabetic
ketoacidosis
dL
deciliter
DM
diabetes
mellitus
DOB
difficulty
of
breathing
DOE
dyspnea
on
exertion
DVT
deep
venous
thrombosis
DX
diagnosis

EBL
estimated
blood
loss
ECG
electrocardiogram
ED
emergency
department
EDC
estimated
date
of
confinement
EDD
estimated
date
of
delivery
elev
elevated
ENT
ears,
nose,
and
throat
EOM
extraocular
muscles
ETT
endotracheal
tube
Ex
example
ext
extremities

F
female
FB
foreign
body
FBS
fasting
blood
sugar
FD
fully
dilated
Fem
femoral
FH
family
history
fl
fluids
FT
full
term
FU
follow-up
FUO
fever
of
unknown
origin
FW
fetal
weight
Fx
fracture

G
G
gravida
G/E
gastroenteritis
gen
general
gest
gestation
GI
gastrointestinal
GSW
gun
shot
wound
GTT
glucose
tolerance
test
GU
genitourinary
GYN
gynecology

h
hour
HA
headache
HAV
hepatitis
A
virus
HBP
high
blood
pressure
HC
head
circumference
HEENT
head,
eyes,
ears,
nose,
throat
hern
hernia
Hgb
hemoglobin
HIV
human
immunodeficiency
virus
HPI
history
of
present
illness
HR
heart
rate
HS
at
bedtime
Ht
height
H2O
water
Hx
history

I&D
incision
and
drainage

ICS
intercostal
space
IDDM
insulin
dependent
diabetes
mellitus
Inc
AB
incomplete
abortion
Ig
immunoglobulin
IM
intramuscular
in
inch
incr
increase(d)
inj
injection
irreg
irregular
IV
intravenous

jt
joint

K
Kg
kilogram
KUB
kidneys
ureter
and
bladder
(x-rays)

L
left
lab
laboratory
lac
laceration
lax
laxative
LBW
low
birth
weight
LE
lower
extremity
LLE
left
lower
extremity
LLQ
left
lower
quadrant
LMP
last
menstrual
period
LN
lymph
node
LNMP
last
normal
menstrual
period
LOC
loss
of
consciousness
LP
lumbar
puncture
LRQ
lower
right
quadrant
LUE
left
upper
extremity
LUQ
left
upper
quadrant

MDI
metered
dose
inhaler
Med
medicine
Mets
metastasis
min
minute
mg
milligram
mL
milliliter
mm
millimeter
mod
moderate
MRI
magnetic
resonance
imaging

N
NAD
no
active
disease
NB
newborn
neg
negative
Neur
Neurology
NG
nasogastric
NIDDM
non-insulin
dependent
diabetes
mellitus
NKA
no
known
allergies
NKDA
no
known
drug
allergies
NPO
nothing
by
mouth
NRM
no
regular
medications
NSAID
non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory
drugs
NSD
normal
spontaneous
delivery
NSR
normal
sinus
rhythm
N&V
nausea
&
vomiting
NT
nasotracheal

O2
oxygen
OA
osteoarthritis
OB
Obstetrics
OBGYN
Obstetrics
and
Gynecology
OD
right
eye
oint
ointment
OM
otitis
media
Ophth
Ophthalmology
OPV
oral
polio
vaccine
Ortho
Orthopedics
OS
left
eye
OTC
over
the
counter
(pharmaceuticals)
OU
both
eyes

PC
after
eating
PE
physical
examination
Ped
Pediatrics
Pen
Penicillin
PID
pelvic
inflammatory
disease
PMH
previous
medical
history
PND
paroxysmal
nocturnal
dyspnea
Pneu
pneumonia
PO
by
mouth
Post
posterior
prod
productive
PRN
as
needed
Pt
patient
PTB
pulmonary
tuberculosis
PUD
peptic
ulcer
disease

q
every
(e.g.
q6h
=
every
6
hours)
qd
every
day
qh
every
hour
q4h,
q6h....
every
4
hours,
every
6
hours
etc.
qid
four
times
a
day
qiw
four
times
a
week
qn
every
night
qod
every
other
day
qon
every
other
night
quad
quadriplegic
qw
every
week

R
right
RA
rheumatoid
arthritis
reg
regular
RF
rheumatic
fever
RLE
right
lower
extremity
RLQ
right
lower
quadrant
R/O
rule
out
ROM
range
of
motion
RRR
regular
rate
and
rhythm
RUE
right
upper
extremity
RUQ
right
upper
quadrant
Rx
treatment

SBO
small
bowel
obstruction
sec
second
SGA
small
for
gestational
age
sl
sublingual
SLE
systemic
lupus
erythematous
sm
small
spont
spontaneous
SOB
shortness
of
breath
SQ
subcutaneous
STAT
immediately
STD
sexually
transmitted
disease
supp
suppository
SVD
spontaneous
vaginal
delivery
Sx
symptoms
sys
system

tab
tablet
TB
tuberculosis
tbsp
tablespoon
temp
temperature
TIA
transient
ischemic
attack
tid
three
times
a
day
tiw
three
times
a
week
TNTC
too
numerous
to
count
tsp
teaspoon
Tx
treatment

UA
urinalysis
UGI
upper
gastrointestinal
ULQ
upper
left
quadrant
URI
upper
respiratory
infection
URQ
upper
right
quadrant
US
ultrasound
UTI
urinary
tract
infection

Vag
vagina
Via
by
way
of
Vit
vitamin
Vehicular
accident
VA
VV
varicose
veins

WBC
white
blood
cell
or
count
wk
week
WNL
within
normal
limits
WO
weeks
old
wt
weight
W/U
workup

x
times
x2d
times
2
days.
xs
excessive

yo
years
old
yr(s)
year
(s)