In the world of medicine, communication is crucial for providing effective care to patients. Medical professionals often use abbreviations to save time and space when writing notes, prescriptions, or reports. These abbreviations are shorthand versions of longer medical terms or phrases. While they can be convenient, it’s essential to use them correctly and ensure that everyone involved understands their meanings to avoid misunderstandings or errors in patient care. In this list, we’ll explore broadly used medical abbreviations and their meanings to help improve communication in healthcare settings.
Commonly Used Medical Abbreviations
- CBC: Complete Blood Count
- MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- CT: Computed Tomography
- ECG/EKG: Electrocardiogram
- BP: Blood Pressure
- HR: Heart Rate
- WBC: White Blood Cell
- RBC: Red Blood Cell
- Hb/Hgb: Hemoglobin
- Hct: Hematocrit
- CXR: Chest X-ray
- BMI: Body Mass Index
- IV: Intravenous
- PO: By Mouth (Per Os)
- NPO: Nothing by Mouth (Nil Per Os)
- CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- CVA: Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke)
- COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- DM: Diabetes Mellitus
- CAD: Coronary Artery Disease
Medical Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Full Forms
1: AAA: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
2: ABG: Arterial Blood Gas
3: ACL: Anterior Cruciate Ligament
4: ACTH: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
5: ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act
6: ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
7: ADH: Antidiuretic Hormone
8: ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
9: ADL: Activities of Daily Living
10: ADR: Adverse Drug Reaction
11: AE: Adverse Event
Find: Exam Related Abbreviations
12: AF: Atrial Fibrillation
13: AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
14: ALP: Alkaline Phosphatase
15: ALS: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
16: ALT: Alanine Aminotransferase
17: AMA: American Medical Association
18: AMI: Acute Myocardial Infarction
19: AMS: Altered Mental Status
20: ARDS: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
21: ARF: Acute Renal Failure
22: ART: Assisted Reproductive Technology
23: ASD: Atrial Septal Defect
24: AST: Aspartate Aminotransferase
25: ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate
26: BA: Bronchial Asthma
27: BBT: Basal Body Temperature
28: BCC: Basal Cell Carcinoma
29: BLS: Basic Life Support
30: BM: Bone Marrow
31: BM: Bowel Movement
32: BMI: Body Mass Index
33: BP: Blood Pressure
34: BPD: Borderline Personality Disorder
35: BPT: Bachelor of Physiotherapy
36: BSA: Body Surface Area
37: BUN: Blood Urea Nitrogen
38: BW: Body Weight
39: CABG: Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
40: CAD: Coronary Artery Disease
41: CAH: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
42: CBC: Complete Blood Count
43: CBD: Common Bile Duct
44: CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
45: CC: Chief Complaint
46: CCM: Cerebral Cavernous Malformation
47: CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
48: CEA: Carcinoembryonic Antigen
49: CF: Cystic Fibrosis
50: CFR: Code of Federal Regulations
51: CHD: Coronary Heart Disease
52: CHF: Congestive Heart Failure
53: CI: Confidence Interval
54: CIN: Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia
55: CK: Creatine Kinase
56: CKD: Chronic Kidney Disease
57: CLL: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
58: CMS: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
59: CMV: Cytomegalovirus
60: CNS: Central Nervous System
61: COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
62: CP: Cerebral Palsy
63: CP: Chest Pain
64: CPAP: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
65: CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
66: CRF: Case Report Form
67: CRF: Chronic Renal Failure
68: CRP: C-Reactive Protein
69: CSF: Cerebrospinal Fluid
70: CT: Computed Tomography
71: CTS: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
72: CVA: Cerebrovascular Accident
73: CVP: Central Venous Pressure
74: DIC: Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
75: DJD: Degenerative Joint Disease
76: DKD: Diabetic Kidney Disease
77: DM: Diabetes Mellitus
78: DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid
79: DOC: Drug Of Choice
80: DVT: Deep Vein Thrombosis
81: Dx: Diagnosis
82: EBV: Epstein-Barr Virus
83: ECG: Electrocardiogram
84: ED: Emergency Department
85: EEG: Electroencephalogram
86: EHR: Electronic Health Record
87: EMG: Electromyography
88: ER: Emergency Room
89: ER: Endoplasmic Reticulum
90: ESR: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
91: FBS: Fasting Blood Sugar
92: FDA: Food and Drug Administration
93: FSH: Follicle Stimulating Hormone
94: Fx: Fracture
95: GCP: Good Clinical Practice
96: GCS: Glasgow Coma Scale
97: GERD: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
98: GFR: Glomerular Filtration Rate
99: GH: Growth Hormone
100: GI: Gastrointestinal
101: GP: General Practitioner
102: HA: Headache
103: HBV: Hepatitis B Virus
104: HCV: Hepatitis C Virus
105: HDL: High Density Lipoprotein
106: HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
107: HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
108: HPE: Holoprosencephaly
109: HPV: Human Papilloma Virus
110: HPV: Human Papillomavirus
111: HR: Heart Rate
112: HRT: Hormone Replacement Therapy
113: HSV: Herpes Simplex Virus
114: HTN: Hypertension
115: HUN: Hydroureteronephrosis
116: Hx: History
117: IBD: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
118: IBS: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
119: ICP: Intracranial Pressure
120: ICU: Intensive Care Unit
121: IL: Interleukin
122: IM: Intramuscular
123: IND: Investigational New Drug
124: IRB: Institutional Review Board
125: IV: Intravenous
126: IVP: Intravenous Pyelogram
127: LH: Luteinizing Hormone
128: LMP: Last Menstrual Period
129: LP: Lumbar Puncture
130: MHC: Major Histocompatibility Complex
131: MI: Myocardial Infarction
132: MR: Mental Retardation
133: MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
134: MS: Multiple Sclerosis
135: MTX: Methotrexate
136: NAD: No Abnormality Detected
137: NCI: National Cancer Institute
138: NHS: National Health Service
139: NIH: National Institutes of Health
140: NK: Natural Killer
141: NKA: No Known Allergies
142: NKDA: No Known Drug Allergies
143: NMR: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
144: NO: Nitric Oxide
145: NP: Nurse Practitioner
146: NPO: Nothing By Mouth
147: OR: Odds Ratio
148: OR: Operating Room
149: OS: Overall Survival
150: PCP: Primary Care Physician
151: PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction
152: PDA: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
153: PE: Physical Examination
154: PE: Pulmonary Embolism
155: PET: Positron Emission Tomography
156: PID: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
157: PMH: Past Medical History
158: PNL: Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes
159: PNS: Peripheral Nervous System
160: PPD: Purified Protein Derivative
161: PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
162: PT: Physical Therapy
163: PT: Prothrombin Time
164: PTA: Prior To Arrival
165: PTH: Parathyroid Hormone
166: PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
167: QA: Quality Assurance
168: RA: Rheumatoid Arthritis
169: RBC: Red Blood Cell
170: RN: Registered Nurse
171: RNA: Ribonucleic Acid
172: ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species
173: RSV: Respiratory Syncytial Virus
174: RTA: Road Traffic Accident
175: SAE: Serious Adverse Event
176: SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
177: SBP: Systolic Blood Pressure
178: SC: Subcutaneous
179: SCC: Squamous Cell Carcinoma
180: SD: Standard Deviation
181: SLE: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
182: SNP: Single Nucleotide Polymorphism
183: SOB: Shortness Of Breath
184: SOP: Standard Operating Procedure
185: SSG: split skin graft
186: SSI: Supplemental Security Income
187: STD: Sexually Transmitted Disease
188: TB: Tuberculosis
189: TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury
190: TIA: Transient Ischemic Attack
191: TMJ: Temporomandibular Joint
192: TNF: Tumor Necrosis Factor
193: TPN: Total Parenteral Nutrition
194: TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
195: TTP: Tender To Palpation
196: TTP: Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
197: Tx: Treatment
198: URI: Upper Respiratory Infection
199: URSL: Ureteroscopy and laser stone fragmentation
200: US: Ultrasound
201: UTI: Urinary Tract Infection
202: UV: Ultraviolet
203: VEGF: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
204: WBC: White Blood Cell
205: WHO: World Health Organization
206: WNL: Within Normal Limits
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