Medical Abbreviation List

Have you ever noticed that doctors seem to speak a language of their own? The healthcare field is full of technical terminology, including a number of medical abbreviations that are used to complete patient charts, write prescriptions, and communicate general needs. Since there are thousands of these abbreviations, memorizing the entire list is difficult without attending medical school. However, understanding the most common medical abbreviations can help you take control of your healthcare needs.

Medical Abbreviation List

Medical abbreviations of general interest include:

  • Ac: before meals
  • ad lib: at will, as desired
  • adm: admission, admitted
  • ASAP: as soon as possible
  • Bid: twice a day
  • Bm: bowel movement
  • BP: blood pressure
  • BRP: bathroom privileges
  • C: Centigrade, Celsius
  • Cap: capsule
  • CC: chief complaint
  • cc: cubic centimeter
  • c/o: complains of
  • C02: carbon dioxide
  • CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation
  • CXR: chest x-ray
  • d/c: discontinue or discharge
  • ECG or EKG: electrocardiogram
  • EBL: estimated blood loss
  • ER: emergency room
  • F: Fahrenheit
  • Fb: foreign body
  • fx: fracture
  • gtt: drop-liquid measurement
  • H & P: history and physical
  • HR: heart rate
  • hr: hour
  • hs: hour of sleep (bedtime)
  • H20: water
  • i: 1
  • ii: 2
  • iii: 3
  • iv: 4
  • v: 5
  • I & O: intake and output
  • IDDM: insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
  • IV: intravenous
  • IM: intramuscular
  • Mg: milligram
  • Ml: milliliter
  • MVA: motor vehicle accident
  • NPO: nothing by mouth
  • NTG: nitroglycerin
  • O2: oxygen
  • OD: right eye
  • OS: left eye
  • OU: both eyes
  • post-op: postoperative (after surgery)
  • pre-op: preoperative (before surgery)
  • po: by mouth
  • pt: patient
  • prn: as needed
  • pc: after meals
  • qd: every day
  • qh: every hour
  • qid: four times a day
  • qod: every other day
  • Rx: prescription, treatment
  • sc/sq: subcutaneous
  • s: without
  • sx: symptoms
  • s/s: signs and symptoms
  • stat: immediately
  • SOB: short of breath
  • tab: tablet
  • TPR: temperature, pulse, respiration
  • vs: vital signs
  • >: greater than
  • <: less than

To learn more about medical abbreviations, visit the The Clinician's Ultimate Reference. This Web site is an easy-to-use resource that lets you scroll through an alphabetical listing of abbreviations or search for a specific abbreviation.

If you need to access medical abbreviations when you're away from your computer, you may want to consider downloading Medical Abbreviations software for your PDA. This program contains over 3,000 abbreviations organized alphabetically with an included search function.

Links to dictionaries providing abbreviations for specialized areas of medicine can be found on the RN Students Web site.

The "Do Not Use" List

In addition to the plethora of medical abbreviations available, there is also a list of abbreviations that healthcare professionals have been instructed to avoid. This "Do Not Use" list was compiled by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The list includes abbreviations which may be easily misread due to subtle differences in handwriting or human carelessness.

You can download a copy of the "Do Not Use" list on the Joint Commission Web site.

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