Medical Abbreviations List: Common Healthcare Terminology

Doctor listening to baby's breathing with stethoscope

Whether you’re trying to understand what your doctor just said or you’re attempting to decipher your hospital bill, you’ve probably been stymied by confusing medical abbreviations once or twice. Luckily, there’s an easy way to figure out common healthcare abbreviations and acronyms. (We can’t say the same about paying that hospital bill, though.)

General Medical Abbreviations

What’s the difference between an H&P and an HPI? Should you leave the hospital AMA or A&W? Learn about common medical abbreviations that patients should know so they can make the best healthcare decisions.

ADM - Admission, Admitted
AOB - Alcohol on Breath
ALS - Advanced Life Support
AMA - Against Medical Advice, American Medical Association
ASAP - As Soon As Possible
A&W - Alive and Well
BM - Bowel Movement
BMD - Bone Mass Density
BMI - Body Mass Index
BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate
BP - Blood Pressure
C - Centigrade, Celsius
CBF - Cerebral Blood Flow
CC - Cubic Centimeter, Chief Complaint, Critical Care
C/O - Complains Of, Care Of
CV - Cardiovascular
D/C - Discontinue or Discharge
DNR - Do Not Resuscitate
DO - Disorder
DOB - Date of Birth
DOT - Directly Observed Therapy
DSM - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Dx - Diagnosis
EDC - Estimated Date of Confinement
EDD - Estimated Delivery Date
EGA - Estimated Gestational Age
FB - Foreign Body
FHR - Fetal Heart Rate
FM - Fetal Movement
FROM - Free Range of Motion
FT - Full Term
FX - Fracture
GA - Gestational Age
GH - Growth Hormone
GHRH - Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone
GI - Gastrointestinal
GU - Genitourinary
H&P - History and Physical Examination
HB - Hemoglobin
HDL - High Density Lipoprotein
HPI - History of Present Illness
H/O - History Of
HR - Heart Rate (or Hour)
HS - Hour of Sleep (Bedtime)
I&O - Intake and Output
ICU - Intensive Care Unit
ID - Infectious Diseases
IM - Intramuscular
IP - Inpatient
IQ - Intelligence Quotient
IU - International Units
IV - Intravenous
IVP - Intravenous Push
MCO - Managed Care Organization
N/V - Nausea/Vomiting
NKDA - No Known Drug Allergies
NM - Neuromuscular
NTG - Nitroglycerin
NVD - Normal Vaginal Delivery
O2 - Oxygen
OPD - Outpatient Department
P - Pulse
Post-op - Postoperative (after surgery)
Pre-op - Preoperative (before surgery)
PA or PT - Patient
PT - Physical Therapy
PCP - Primary Care Physician
PPE - Personal Protection Equipment
RBC - Red Blood Cell
RF - Risk Factor
RXN - Reaction
S - Sans (without)
SC or SQ - Subcutaneous
S/S - Signs and Symptoms
STAT - Statim (immediately)
SX - Symptoms
T - Temperature
TLC - Total Lung Capacity
TPR - Temperature, Pulse, Respiration
UO - Urine Output
USOH - Usual State of Health
WT - Weight

Emergency Medical Abbreviations

In an emergency situation, rapid communication can be the difference between life and death. Common abbreviations found in an ER include:

A&O - Alert and Oriented
ABC - Airway-Circulation-Breathing
A-Fib - Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)
CAB - Circulation-Airway-Breathing
CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
CVA - Cerebral Vascular Accident (stroke)
DOA - Dead on Arrival or Date of Admission
EBL - Estimated Blood Loss
EC - Eye Contact
ER - Emergency Room
FEF - Forced Expiratory Flow
FRC - Functional Residual Capacity
GSW - Gunshot Wound
LOF - Loss of Fluid
MVA - Motor Vehicle Accident
NAD - No Acute Distress
REM - Rapid Eye Movements
SOB - Shortness of Breath
VF - Ventricular Fibrillation
VS - Vital Signs
VSS - Vital Signs Stable

Common Prescription Abbreviations

Prescription labels must be both brief and thorough — a task accomplished by the many medical abbreviations found in a pharmacist’s office. They include:

ABX - Antibiotics
AC - Ante Cibum (before meals)
Ad lib - Ad Libitum (at will, as desired)
BC - Birth Control
BID - Bis In Dies (twice a day)
CAP - Capsule
GTT - Guttae (drops)
MDD - Maximum Daily Dose
NPO - Nil Per Os (nothing by mouth)
OCP - Oral Contraceptive Pill
OPV - Oral Polio Vaccine
OTC - Over The Counter
PC - Post Cibum (after meals)
PCN - Penicillin
PNV - Prenatal Vitamins
PO - Per Os (by mouth)
PRN - Pro Re Nata (as needed)
q2h - Quaque Segunda Hora (every 2 hours)
q4h - Quaque Quarta Hora (every 3 hours)
qam - Quaque Ante Meridiem (every morning)
qd - Quaque Die (once a day)
qh - Quaque Hora (once every hour)
qhs - Quaque Hora Somni (every night at bedtime)
qid - Quater In Die (four times a day)
qod - Quaque Altera Die (every other day)
qpm - Quaque Post Meridiem (every evening)
RDI - Recommended Daily Intake
Rx - Recipe (prescription)
TAB - Tablet
TIW - Three Times a Week

Medical Orders and Procedure Abbreviations

When your doctor orders a test or procedure for you, they’ll probably use an abbreviation when speaking to a nurse or lab technician. Some of these abbreviations may include:

AA - Amino Acid
ABG - Arterial Blood Gas
AXR - Abdominal X-Ray
BAC - Blood Alcohol Content
BE - Barium Enema
BMT - Bone Marrow Transplant
Bx - Biopsy
CABG - Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
CBC - Complete Blood Count
CFT - Complement Fixation Testing
C/S - Cesarean Section
CXR - Chest X-Ray
ECC - Emergency Cardiac Care
ECG or EKG - Electrocardiogram
ECMO - Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
ECT - Electroconvulsive Therapy
ECV - External Cephalic Version
FNA - Fine Needle Aspiration
FOBT - Fecal Occult Blood Testing
FSH - Follicle Stimulating Hormone
GLT - Glucose Loading Test
GTT - Glucose Tolerance Test
H20 - Water
HPA - Hypothalamic Suppression Test
I&D - Incision and Drainage
IUI - Intrauterine Insemination
IVF - In Vitro Fertilization
KUB - Kidney, Ureter, Bladder (x-ray)
OGTT - Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
PAP - Pulmonary Artery Pressure, Papanicolaou Test
PEEP - Positive end Expiratory Pressure
T&C - Type and Cross (blood)
TPA - Tissue Plasminogen Activator (dissolve clots), Total Parenteral Alimentation (intravenous nutritional needs)
UA - Urinalysis
US - Ultrasound
WB - Whole Blood
WBC - White Blood Cell
WNL - Within Normal Limits
XRT - External Radiation Therapy

Abbreviations for Medical Diagnoses or Symptoms

Nothing is scarier than receiving a diagnosis that you don’t understand. Sort out the confusion and find your diagnosis here:

ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease)
ARDS - Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome
ARF - Acute Renal Failure, Acute Rheumatic Fever
BAD - Bipolar Affective Disorder
CA - Cancer
CAD - Coronary Artery Disease
CF - Cystic Fibrosis
C/F - Chills, Fever
CHD - Congenital Heart Disease
CHF - Congestive Heart Failure
COLD - Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
CP - Chest Pain
CP - Cerebral Palsy
DTR - Deep Tendon Reflex
DVT - Deep Venous Thrombosis
EBV - Epstein-Barr Virus
ECASA - Enteric Coated Acetylsalicylic Acid
EGC - Early Gastric Cancer
FAS - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
F/C - Fever, Chills
HA - Headache, Hemolytic Anemia
HAV - Hepatitis A Virus
HBV - Hepatitis B Virus
HCV - Hepatitis C Virus
HDV - Hepatitis D Virus
HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HTN - Hypertension
IBD - Inflammatory Bowel Disease
IBS - Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome
ICP - Intracranial Pressure
IDDM - Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
IPF - Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
JRA - Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
JVD - Jugular Venous Distension
KS - Kaposi Sarcoma
LAD - Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
LBP - Lower Back Pain
LBW - Low Birth Weight
LIH - Left Inguinal Hernia
MD - Muscular Dystrophy
MS - Multiple Sclerosis
NIDDM - Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
ON - Optic Neuritis
OSA - Obstructive Sleep Apnea
PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
PD - Parkinson's Disease
PE - Pulmonary Embolism
PKD - Polycystic Kidney Disease
PID - Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
PIH - Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension
PMS - Premenstrual Syndrome
PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
RA - Rheumatoid Arthritis
RAD - Reactive Airway Disease
RDS - Respiratory Distress Syndrome
RHD - Rheumatic Heart Disease
SAB - Spontaneous Abortion
SBO - Small Bowel Obstruction
SBS - Shaken Baby Syndrome
STD - Sexually Transmitted Disease
TAH - Total Abdominal Hysterectomy
TB - Tuberculosis
TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury
TGA - Transient Global Amnesia
UC - Ulcerative Colitis
URI - Upper Respiratory Infection
UTI - Urinary Tract Infection
VB - Vaginal Bleeding
VBAC - Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section

Medical Abbreviations for Body Parts

Doctors may not call your left ear by that name. Instead, they may use the abbreviation AS, along with a number of other body-related medical abbreviations.

ABD - Abdomen
AD - Auris Dextra (right ear)
AS - Auris Sinistra (left ear)
AU - Aures Unitas (both ears)
CBD - Common Bile Duct
LLL - Left Lower Lobe
LLQ - Left Lower Quadrant
LUL - Left Upper Lobe
LUQ - Left Upper Quadrant
LV - Left Ventricle
OD - Oculus Dexter (right eye)
OS - Oculus Sinister (left eye)
OU - Oculus Uterque (both eyes)
PNS - Peripheral Nervous System
RA - Right Atrium
RUL - Right Upper Lobe
RUQ - Right Upper Quadrant
RV - Right Ventricle, Residual Volume
UE - Upper Extremity

An Abbreviation a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

It's always advisable to consult with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other medical professional about any and all medical terminology that's confusing or unclear. Only those within the medical field can truly decipher the multitude of abbreviations in the industry. If all this jargon has stirred up your interest, then try: