Common Medical Abbreviations and terms: ABCs of Medicine

Medical abbreviations for diseases

AIDS – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

ALS – Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

CAD – Coronary Artery Disease

COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

DM – Diabetes Mellitus

GERD – Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus

HTN – Hypertension

IBD – Inflammatory Bowel Disease

MI – Myocardial Infarction

OCD – Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

PTSD – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

RA – Rheumatoid Arthritis

SLE – Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

AML – Acute Myeloid Leukemia

CLL – Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

ALL – Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

NHL – Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

PUD – Peptic Ulcer Disease

CKD – Chronic Kidney Disease

DVT – Deep Vein Thrombosis

PVD – Peripheral Vascular Disease

PID – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

TIA – Transient Ischemic Attack

CVA – Cerebrovascular Accident

SCI – Spinal Cord Injury

ASD – Autism Spectrum Disorder

PDD – Pervasive Developmental Disorder

TBI – Traumatic Brain Injury

IHD – Ischemic Heart Disease

CHF – Congestive Heart Failure

ESRD – End-Stage Renal Disease

NASH – Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

CFS – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

GAD – Generalized Anxiety Disorder

MS – Multiple Sclerosis

PID – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome

ARDS – Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

CF – Cystic Fibrosis

ICP – Intracranial Pressure

BPH – Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

GER – Gastroesophageal Reflux

ESR – Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate

DKA – Diabetic Ketoacidosis

CHD – Coronary Heart Disease

CLL – Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

ASD – Atrial Septal Defect

VSD – Ventricular Septal Defect

CHB – Chronic Hepatitis B

CHC – Chronic Hepatitis C

PBC – Primary Biliary Cholangitis

PSC – Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

GN – Glomerulonephritis

GBM – Glomerular Basement Membrane

TTP – Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

HUS – Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome

HPS – Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

HFRS – Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome

DIC – Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

VTE – Venous Thromboembolism

CML – Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

PNH – Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria

MDS – Myelodysplastic Syndrome

MM – Multiple Myeloma

MGUS – Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance

SSc – Systemic Sclerosis

SjS – Sjogren’s Syndrome

GVHD – Graft-Versus-Host Disease

DM – Dermatomyositis

PM – Polymyositis

GVHD – Graft-Versus-Host Disease

CJD – Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

GBS – Guillain-Barré Syndrome

TSE – Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy

CFS – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

FMS – Fibromyalgia Syndrome

ME – Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

MPS – Mucopolysaccharidosis

DMD – Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Prescription Abbreviations

Rx: Latin “RECIPE” Meaning “TO TAKE”

Definition: Rx” is an abbreviation for the Latin word “recipe,” which means “take.” It’s often used at the beginning of a prescription to indicate what medication is being prescribed. “Rx” essentially means “take” or “prescription.”

ABBREVIATIONS	LATIN (WORD/WORDS)	ACTUAL MEANING
aa	ana	of each
ad	ad	up to
a.c.	ante cibum	before meals
a.d.	auris dextra	right ear
ad lib.	ad libitum	use as much as one desires; freely
admov.	admove	apply
agit	agita	stir/shake
alt. h.	alternis horis	every other hour
a.m.	Ante Meridiem	morning, before noon
amp	ampule
amt	amount
aq	aqua	water
a.l., a.s.	auris laeva, auris sinistra	left ear
A.T.C.	around the clock
a.u.	auris utraque	both ears
bis	bis	twice
b.d./b.i.d.	bis in die	twice daily
BID	bis in die	twice daily
B.M.	bowel movement
bol.	bolus	as a large single dose (usually intravenously)
B.S.	blood sugar
B.S.A	body surface areas
BUCC	inside cheek
cap., caps.	capsula	capsule
c	cum	with (usually written with a bar on top of the “c”)
c	cibos	food
cc	cum cibos	with food, (but also cubic centimetre)
cf	with food
comp.	compound
cr., crm	cream
D5W	dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W)
D5NS	dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%)
D.A.W.	dispense as written
dc, D/C, disc	discontinue
dieb. alt.	diebus alternis	every other day
dil.	dilute
disp.	dispense
div.	divide
d.t.d.	dentur tales doses	give of such doses
D.W.	distilled water
elix.	elixir
e.m.p.	ex modo prescripto	as directed
emuls.	emulsum	emulsion
et	et	and
ex aq	ex aqua	in water
fl., fld.	fluid
ft.	fiat	make; let it be made
g	gram
gr	grain
gtt(s)	gutta(e)	drop(s)
H	hypodermic
h, hr	hora	hour
h.s.	hora somni	at bedtime
ID	intradermal
IM	intramuscular (with respect to injections)
inj.	injectio	injection
IP	intraperitoneal
IV	intravenous
IVP	intravenous push
IVPB	intravenous piggyback
L.A.S.	label as such
LCD	coal tar solution
lin	linimentum	liniment
liq	liquor	solution
lot.	lotion
M.	misce	mix
m, min	minimum	a minimum
mcg	microgram
m.d.u.	more dicto utendus	to be used as directed
mEq	milliequivalent
mg	milligram
mist.	mistura	mix
mitte	mitte	send
mL	millilitre
nebul	nebula	a spray
N.M.T.	not more than
noct.	nocte	at night
non rep.	non repetatur	no repeats
NS	normal saline (0.9%)
1/2NS	half normal saline (0.45%)
N.T.E.	not to exceed
OD	Omnie Die	Once daily
o_2	both eyes, sometimes written as o2
o.d.	oculus dexter	right eye
o.s.	oculus sinister	left eye
o.u.	oculus uterque	both eyes
oz	ounce
per	per	by or through
p.c.	post cibum	after meals
p.m.	Post Meridiem	evening or afternoon
prn	pro re nata	as needed
p.o.	per os	by mouth or orally
p.r.	by rectum
pulv.	pulvis	powder
q	quaque	every
q.a.d.	quoque alternis die	every other day
q.a.m.	quaque die ante meridiem	every day before noon
q.d.s.	quater die sumendus	four times a day
q.p.m.	quaque die post meridiem	every day after noon
q.h.	quaque hora	every hour
q.h.s.	quaque hora somni	every night at bedtime
q.1h	quaque 1 hora	every 1 hour; (can replace “1” with other numbers)
q.d.	quaque die	every day
q.i.d.	quater in die	four times a day
q.o.d.	every other day
qqh	quater quaque hora	every four hours
q.s.	quantum sufficiat	a sufficient quantity
QWK	every week
R	rectal
rep., rept.	repetatur	repeats
RL, R/L	Ringer’s lactate
R	right	with
TID	Ter In Die	three times a day
w/o		without
X		times
Y.O.		years old
I.P.		INDIAN PHARMACOPEIA

Drug Abbreviations

1. ASA – Acetylsalicylic Acid
2. APAP – Acetaminophen
3. NSAIDs – Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
4. ACEI – Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor
5. ARB – Angiotensin Receptor Blocker
6. SSRI – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
7. SNRI – Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor
8. PPI – Proton Pump Inhibitor
9. H2RA – Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonist
10. DMARD – Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug
11. THC – Tetrahydrocannabinol
12. EPO – Erythropoietin
13. AZT – Azidothymidine
14. L-DOPA – Levodopa
15. MAOI – Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor
16. SSNRI – Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor
17. ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
18. BZD – Benzodiazepine
19. DHEA – Dehydroepiandrosterone
20. LSD – Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
21. MDMA – Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
22. GABA – Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
23. HGH – Human Growth Hormone
24. PPIs – Proton Pump Inhibitors
25. H2RAs – Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonists
26. DMARDs – Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs
27. THC – Tetrahydrocannabinol
28. MMR – Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccine
29. DTP – Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis vaccine
30. MMRV – Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella vaccine
31. DTaP – Diphtheria, Tetanus, acellular Pertussis vaccine
32. IPV – Inactivated Poliovirus vaccine
33. Hib – Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
34. PCV – Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine
35. HPV – Human Papillomavirus vaccine
36. MCV – Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine
37. RV – Rotavirus vaccine
38. HepA – Hepatitis A vaccine
39. HepB – Hepatitis B vaccine
40. OPV – Oral Poliovirus vaccine
41. IPV – Inactivated Poliovirus vaccine
42. RSV – Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccine

Hormones Abbreviations

1. TSH – Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone
2. T3 – Triiodothyronine
3. T4 – Thyroxine
4. LH – Luteinizing Hormone
5. FSH – Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
6. ACTH – Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
7. GH – Growth Hormone
8. PTH – Parathyroid Hormone
9. ADH – Antidiuretic Hormone
10. FSH – Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
11. hCG – Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
12. GnRH – Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
13. DHEA – Dehydroepiandrosterone
14. EPO – Erythropoietin
15. PRL – Prolactin
16. CRH – Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
17. TSH-R – Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Receptor

Lab Tests Abbreviations

1. CBC – Complete Blood Count
2. BMP – Basic Metabolic Panel
3. CMP – Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
4. LFTs – Liver Function Tests
5. PT – Prothrombin Time
6. PTT – Partial Thromboplastin Time
7. INR – International Normalized Ratio
8. BUN – Blood Urea Nitrogen
9. Cr – Creatinine
10. AST – Aspartate Aminotransferase
11. ALT – Alanine Aminotransferase
12. HbA1c – Glycated Hemoglobin
13. LDL – Low-Density Lipoprotein
14. HDL – High-Density Lipoprotein
15. PSA – Prostate-Specific Antigen
16. TSH – Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone
17. T3 – Triiodothyronine
18. T4 – Thyroxine
19. Hb – Hemoglobin
20. Hct – Hematocrit
21. WBC – White Blood Cell Count
22. RBC – Red Blood Cell Count
23. ESR – Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
24. CRP – C-Reactive Protein
25. HCG – Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

Lab Findings Abbreviations

1. AKI – Acute Kidney Injury
2. CKD – Chronic Kidney Disease
3. COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
4. MI – Myocardial Infarction
5. CVA – Cerebrovascular Accident
6. TIA – Transient Ischemic Attack
7. PE – Pulmonary Embolism
8. DVT – Deep Vein Thrombosis
9. GERD – Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
10. PUD – Peptic Ulcer Disease
11. IBD – Inflammatory Bowel Disease
12. RA – Rheumatoid Arthritis
13. SLE – Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
14. CRF – Chronic Renal Failure
15. DIC – Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

Abbreviations for reports

1. CXR – Chest X-Ray
2. CT – Computed Tomography
3. MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging
4. ECG – Electrocardiogram
5. EEG – Electroencephalogram
6. EMG – Electromyography
7. PET – Positron Emission Tomography
8. US – Ultrasound
9. H&P – History and Physical
10. SOAP – Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan
11. ROS – Review of Systems
12. R/O – Rule Out
13. CX – Consultation
14. FUO – Fever of Unknown Origin
15. 16. EGD – Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
16. Colonoscopy – Examination of the colon and rectum
17. Bronchoscopy – Examination of the bronchial tubes
18. Echocardiogram – Ultrasound of the heart
19. Biopsy – Removal of tissue for examination
20. FNAB – Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy
21. CTA – Computed Tomography Angiography
22. MRA – Magnetic Resonance Angiography
23. ERCP – Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
24. PET-CT – Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography
25. ABG – Arterial Blood Gas
26. LP – Lumbar Puncture
27. USG – Ultrasonography
28. V/Q Scan – Ventilation/Perfusion Scan
29. SPECT – Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography