Table of Contents
Most of us, for sure, may have been confused looking at a Medical Prescription of our family doctor! What they have written after diagnosis, how to read the terminology or medicine written, very hard to understand right? But, when we give the prescription to a pharmacist or a nurse-in-charge, they will simply read those ‘scribbled’ and give the medicine or treatment accordingly. Rarely these abbreviations or short forms are unclear at times and thus creates ambiguity. So, it is better we have a basic understanding of the List of Medical Abbreviation used.
Know more about abbreviations used in various fields.
Instead of using long medical terminologies, medical practitioners, organizations, have a list of medical acronyms with them for various procedures and for diagnosis and prescription. These acronyms are usually called jargon like it is terminology related to a specialized branch. However, the Food and Drug Administration recommends having a common abbreviation to be used by all, instead of confusing shorthand writings. Also, patients and bystanders should also be aware of some of them or consult a trusted person to know about the same.
List of Medical Abbreviation
General Terms Abbreviations used in Medical Field
| Abbreviations | Full Forms |
| AA | amino acid |
| CC | cubic centimeter, chief complaint, critical care |
| A&W | alive and well |
| ACHES | Abdominal pain, chest pain, headaches, eye problems, severe leg cramps |
| C/O | complains of, care of |
| C | centigrade, celsius |
| ADM | admission, admitted |
| ABG | arterial blood gas |
| CO2 | carbon dioxide |
| DNR | do not resuscitate |
| DO | disorder |
| D/C | discontinue or discharge |
| EDC | estimated date of confinement |
| AMA | against medical advice (or American Medical Association) |
| ALS | advanced life support |
| DOA | dead on arrival or date of admission |
| DOT | directly observed therapy |
| EDD | estimated delivery date |
| EGA | estimated gestational age |
| DSM | Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders |
| EOD | Every other day |
| ER | emergency room |
| F | Fahrenheit |
| IQ | intelligence quotient |
| H&P | history and physical examination |
| garg. | gargle |
| ID | infectious diseases |
| HP | history of present illness |
| H/O | history of |
| MCO | managed care organization |
| HR | heart rate or hour |
| HS | hour of sleep (bedtime) |
| IP | inpatient |
| IU | international units |
| ICU | intensive care unit |
| ML | milliliter |
| NKDA | no known drug allergies |
| MG | milligram |
| MVA | motor vehicle accident |
| OPD | outpatient department |
| NTG | nitroglycerin |
| O2 | oxygen |
| P | pulse |
| Post-op | postoperative (after surgery) |
| PA or PT | patient |
| Pre-op | preoperative (before surgery) |
| PCP | primary care physician |
| RF | risk factor |
| PPE | personal protection equipment |
| RBC | red blood cell |
| SX | symptoms |
| S | without (sans) |
| STAT | immediately |
| S/S | signs and symptoms |
| T | temperature |
| TPR | temperature, pulse, respiration |
| USOH – h | the usual state of health |
| VSS | vital signs stable |
| VS | vital signs |
| WB | whole blood |
| WBC | white blood cell |
| WNL | within normal limits |
Abbreviations Related to Medical Latin Terms
| Latin Word | Abbreviations | Meaning |
| ante cibum | a.c. | before meals |
| auris dextra | a.d., ad | right ear |
| auris sinistra | a.s., as, | Left ear |
| aures unitas | a.u., au, AU | Both ears |
| bis die sumendum | b.d.s, bds, BDS | 2 times a day |
| bolus | bol. | as a large single dose (usually intravenously) |
| gutta | gtt., gtts | drop |
| hora somni | h.s., hs | at bedtime or half-strength |
| nil per os | n.p.o., npo, NPO | nothing by mouth or not by oral administration |
| Omne Nocte | nocte | every night |
| oculus sinister | o.s., os | Left eye |
| oculus uterque | o.u., ou | Right eye |
| post cibum | p.c. | after food |
| ut dictum | u.d., ud | as directed |
| statim | Stat. | immediately, with no delay |
| signa | Sig., S. | directions |
Abbreviations Commonly used in Prescription
| Medical Prescription Term | Abbreviation |
| antibiotics | ABX |
| before meals | AC |
| at will, as desired | Ad lib |
| bis in dies (twice a day) | BID |
| capsule | CAP |
| drop-liquid measurement | GTT |
| 1, 2, 3, 4 | i,ii,iii,iv respectively |
| maximum daily dose | MDD |
| nothing by mouth | NPO |
| oral contraceptive pill | OCP |
| oral polio vaccine | OPV |
| over the counter | OTC |
| PC | after meals |
| every 2 hours | q2h |
| every 3 hours | q3h |
| every evening | qpm |
| every other day | qod |
| once every hour | gjh |
| at bedtime | qhs |
| four times a day | qid |
| once a day | gd |
| every morning | qam |
| penicillin | PCN |
| per os | PO |
| recommended daily intake | RDI |
| as needed | PRN |
| prenatal vitamins | PNV |
| prescription, treatment | Rx |
| subcutaneous | SC |
| tablet | TAB |
| three times a week | TIW |
Abbreviations Related to Medical Tests and Procedures
| Medical Test and Procedure Term | Abbreviation |
| abdominal x-ray | AXR |
| foreign body | FB |
| bathroom privileges | BRP |
| biopsy | Bx |
| bone marrow transplant | BMT |
| barium enema | BE |
| birth control | BC |
| blood alcohol content | BAC |
| fine needle aspiration | FNA |
| fecal occult blood testing | FOBT |
| external cephalic version | ECV |
| chest x-ray | CXR |
| cardiopulmonary resuscitation | CPR |
| glucose tolerance test | GTT |
| glucose loading test | GLT |
| incision and drainage | I &D |
| extracorporeal membrane oxygenation | ECMO |
| intramuscular | IM |
| electrocardiogram | ECG |
| intake and output | I & O |
| intravenous | IV |
| intrauterine pressure catheter | IUPC |
| in the laboratory/outside body | In vitro |
| in the body | In vivo |
| kidney, ureter, bladder | KUB |
| electroconvulsive therapy | ECT |
| oral glucose tolerance test | OGTT |
| pulmonary artery pressure; Papanicolaou test | PAP |
| positive end-expiratory pressure | PEEP |
| physical therapy | PT |
| type and cross | T&C |
| tissue plasminogen activator (dissolve clots), total parenteral alimentation | TPA |
| urinalysis | UA |
| ultrasound | US |
| external radiation therapy | XRT |
| emergency cardiac care | ECC |
Abbreviations used for the Body Parts
| Body parts | Abbreviations used |
| abdomen | abd |
| right ear | AD |
| left ear | AL |
| both ears | AU |
| basal metabolic rate | BMR |
| body mass index | BMI |
| common bile duct | CBD |
| bone mass density | BMD |
| Cerebral blood flow | CBF |
| femur length | FL |
| head circumference | HC |
| free range of motion | FROM |
| ideal body weight | IBW |
| left lower lobe | LLL |
| left lower quadrant | LLQ |
| left upper lobe | LUL |
| left upper quadrant | LUQ |
| left ventricle | LV |
| peripheral nervous system | PNS |
| right atrium | RA |
| right upper lobe | RUL |
| right upper quadrant | RUQ |
| right ventricle, residual volume | RV |
| upper extremity | UE |
| total lung capacity | TLC |
| weight | WT |
List of Medical Abbreviation Related to Diseases
A-D Abbreviations
| Disease | Abbreviation |
| Alzheimer’s Disease/ Attachment disorder | AD |
| Adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency | ACTH |
| Agenesis of the corpus callosum | ACC |
| Abdominal aortc aneurysm | AAA |
| Aarskog–Scott syndrome | AAS |
| Albinism, black lock, cell migration disorder | ABCD syndrome |
| attention deficit hyperactivity disorder | ADHD |
| Acute coronary syndrome | ACS |
| Atherosclerotic Cardio Vascular Disease | ACVD |
| amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) | ALS |
| acid-fast | AF |
| acquired immune deficiency syndrome | AIDS |
| Antiphospholipid syndrome | APS |
| Alcohol-related birth defects | ARBD |
| Adult Refsum disease | ARD |
| Alcoholic liver disease | ALD |
| alcohol on breath | AOB |
| Acute respiratory distress syndrome | ARDS |
| alert and oriented | A&O |
| Anemia of chronic disease | AOCD |
| Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder | ARND |
| Acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, acute lymphocytic leukemia | ALL |
| Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | ALS |
| Age-related macular degeneration | AND |
| Acute myelogenous leukemia | AML |
| Acute lung injury | ALI |
| Aldosterone-producing adenoma | APM |
| Adult-onset diabetes mellitus | AODM |
| Apraxia of speech | AOS |
| Ankylosing spondylitis | AS |
| Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease | ASCVD |
| Atrial septal defect | ASD |
| Acute systolic heart failure | ASHF |
| African sleeping sickness | ASS |
| Ataxia-telangiectasia | A-T |
| Arteriovenous malformations | AVMs |
| adult respiratory distress syndrome | ARDS |
| acute renal failure, acute rheumatic fever | ARF |
| bipolar affective disorder | BAD |
| bowel movement | BM |
| blood pressure | BP |
| Becker’s muscular dystrophy | BMD |
| Borderline personality disorder (often misattributed to bipolar disorder) | BPD |
| Benign prostatic hyperplasia | BPH |
| Bloom’s syndrome | BS |
| Bovine spongiform encephalopathy | BSE |
| cancer | CA |
| carotid artery bruit | CAB |
| coronary artery bypass graft | CABG |
| coronary artery disease | CAD |
| chills, fever | C/F |
| Carbohydrate deficient glycoprotein syndrome | CDGP |
| congenital heart disease | CHD |
| Congenital disorder of glycosylation | CDG |
| chest pain | CP |
| chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | COPD |
| chronic obstructive lung disease | COLD |
| congestive heart failure | CHF |
| complement fixation testing | CFT |
| cystic fibrosis | CF |
| complete blood count | CBC |
| Corticobasal ganglionic degeneration | CGD |
| Cluster headache | CH |
| Chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome | CFIDS |
| Cholesteryl ester storage disease | CESD |
| Congenital erythropoietic porphyria | CEP |
| Chronic fatigue syndrome | CFS |
| Chronic diastolic heart failure | CDHF |
| Congenital heart disease/ Congenital hip dysplasia/ Coronary heart disease | CHD |
| Chronic myelogenous leukemia | CML |
| Congenital insensitivity to pain | CIP |
| Coronavirus disease 2019 | COVID-19 |
| Cerebral palsy | CP |
| Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome | CPPSC |
| Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease | CPDD |
| Central pontine myelinolysis | CPM |
| cerebral vascular accident (stroke) | CVA |
| Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease | CJD |
| Duchenne muscular dystrophy | DMD |
| diagnosis | Dx |
| Diabetes mellitus | DM |
| Diabetes insipidus | DI |
| Dementia with Lewy bodies | DLB |
| Delayed sleep phase syndrome | DSPS |
| Dihydropteridine reductase deficiency | DRD |
| Dissociative Identity Disorder | DID |
| Developmentally handicapped | DH |
| DiGeorge syndrome | DiG |
| Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis | DISH |
| Degenerative joint disease | DJD |
| Down syndrome | DS |
| Diastolic heart failure | DHF |
| Dengue hemorrhagic fever | DHF |
| deep tendon reflex | DTR |
| deep venous thrombosis | DVT |
E-I Abbreviations
| Disease | Abbreviation |
| Emotionally disturbed | ED |
| Erectile dysfunction | ED |
| estimated blood loss | EBL |
| Ehlers–Danlos syndrome | EDS |
| Excessive daytime sleepiness | EDS |
| Eastern equine encephalitis | EQE |
| Epstein-Barr virus | EBV |
| eye contact | EC |
| early gastric cancer | EGC |
| Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis | EHK |
| Educable mentally handicapped | EMH |
| Ebola Virus Disease | EBV |
| Enteric-coated acetylsalicylic acid | ECASA |
| Epidermal nevus syndrome | ENS |
| fetal alcohol syndrome | FAS |
| foreign body | FB |
| Familial spastic paraparesis | FSP |
| forced expiratory flow | FEF |
| FM – fetal movement | FM |
| Fetal scalp electrode | FSE |
| Fragile X syndrome | FXS |
| functional residual capacity | FRC |
| fracture | FX |
| fetal heart rate | FHR |
| Fibromuscular dysplasia | FMD |
| follicle-stimulating hormone | FSH |
| growth hormone | GH |
| Group B Streptococcal disease | GBS |
| gunshot wound | GSW |
| glucose tolerance test | GTT |
| Group A Streptococcal disease | GAS |
| growth hormone-releasing hormone | GHRH |
| GA – gestational age | GA |
| Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome | HPS |
| hemoglobin | HB |
| hepatitis D virus | HDV |
| human immunodeficiency virus | HIV |
| hypothalamic suppression test | HST |
| hypertension | HT |
| Hemagglutinin Type 1 and Neuraminidase Type 1 influenza | H1N1 flu |
| Holmes–Adie syndrome | HAS |
| Hereditary coproporphyria | HCP |
| Huntington’s disease | HD |
| Huntington’s disease-like 2 | HDL – 2 |
| Hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome | HELLP syndrome |
| inflammatory bowel disease | IBD |
| inflammatory bowel syndrome | IBS |
| Inclusion body myositis | IBM |
| Infectious disease | ID |
| Intermittent explosive disorder | IED |
| intracranial pressure | ICP |
| insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus | IDDM |
| idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis | IPF |
| intrauterine insemination | IUI |
| intrauterine pregnancy | IUP |
| in vitro fertilization | IVF |
| intravenous immune globulin | IVIG |
| intravenous push | IVP |
J-N Abbreviations
| Disease | Abbreviation |
| juvenile rheumatoid arthritis | JRA |
| Japanese encephalitis | JE |
| Juvenile Huntington’s disease | JHD |
| JC virus | JCV |
| Kaposi sarcoma | KS |
| Kyasanur Forest disease | KFD |
| leukocyte adhesion deficiency | LAD |
| Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome | LEMS |
| Lymphogranuloma venereum | LV |
| Klippel–Trenaunay–Weber syndrome | KTWS |
| Klippel–Trenaunay syndrome | KTS |
| Landau–Kleffner syndrome | LKS |
| Lesch–Nyhan syndrome | LNS |
| Major depressive disorder | MDD |
| Myalgic Encephalomyelitis | ME |
| Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis | MDR TB |
| Middle East respiratory syndrome | MERS |
| muscular dystrophy | MD |
| Measles, mumps, rubella | MMR |
| Measles, mumps, rubella, varicella | MMRV |
| Myocardial infarction | MI |
| mental retardation | MR |
| multiple sclerosis | MS |
| Neonatal abstinence syndrome | NAS |
| neuromuscular | NM |
| Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation | NBIA |
| normal vaginal delivery | NVD |
| nausea vomiting | n/v |
| Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis | NCL |
| Novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia | NCIP |
O-S Abbreviations
| Disease | Abbreviation |
| optic neuritis | ON |
| obstructive sleep apnea | OSA |
| Omsk hemorrhagic fever | OHF |
| Oculomotor apraxia | OA |
| Oppositional defiant disorder | ODD |
| Polycystic ovarian syndrome | PCOS |
| polycystic kidney disease | PCKD |
| Parkinson’s disease | PD |
| pulmonary embolism | PE |
| pelvic inflammatory disease | PID |
| Progressive supranuclear palsy | PSP |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder | PTSD |
| pregnancy-induced hypertension | PIH |
| premenstrual syndrome | PMS |
| Post-polio syndrome | PPS |
| Quebec platelet syndrome | QPS |
| Quebec platelet disorder | QPD |
| Query fever | QF |
| respiratory distress syndrome | RDS |
| rapid eye movements | RDM |
| Restless legs syndrome | RLS |
| rheumatic heart disease | RHD |
| Severe acute respiratory syndrome | SARS |
| small bowel obstruction | SBO |
| shortness of breath | SOB |
| Sturge–Weber syndrome | SWS |
| sexually transmitted disease | STD |
| Spina bifida | SB |
T-Z Abbreviations
| Disease | Abbreviation |
| tuberculosis | TB |
| Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura | TTP |
| traumatic brain injury | TBI |
| Tension-type headache | TTH |
| urine output | UO |
| Urticaria-deafness-amyloidosis | UDA |
| urinary tract infection | UTI |
| vaginal birth after cesarean section | VBCS |
| vaginal bleeding | VB |
| vaginal hysterectomy, hallucination | VH |
| ventricular fibrillation | VF |
| variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease | vCJD |
| voluntary interruption of pregnancy | VIP |
| Wilms tumor, aniridia, genitourinary anomalies, and mental retardation syndrome | WAGR syndrome |
| Wilson’s disease | WD |
| Xanthine dehydrogenase and aldehyde oxidase combined deficiency | XDH and AOX dual deficiency |
| X-linked cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy | X-CALD |
| X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy | X-ALD |
| Triple X syndrome | XXX syndrome |
| Young–Simpson syndrome | YSS |
| Yellow nail syndrome | YNS |
| Yellow Fever | YF |
| Zollinger-Ellison syndrome | ZES |
| Zimmermann-Laband syndrome | ZLS |
| Zellweger syndrome | ZS |
| Zadik–Barak–Levin syndrome | ZBLS |
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Professional Related List of Medical Abbreviations
| Abbreviations | Full Forms |
| FNP | Family Nurse Practitioner |
| ANP | Adult Nurse Practitioner |
| MD | Medical Doctor |
| NP | Nurse Practitioner |
| DO | Osteopathic Doctor |
| GNP | Geriatric Nurse Practitioner |
| PA | Physician Assistant |
| PNP | Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner |
Free PDF for the List of Medical Abbreviation
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Download the complete list of Medical abbreviation used in the medical field for various purposes.
The interested readers can download the list of medical abbreviation PDFs from the direct link above and read more to have better knowledge of these medical acronyms or shorthands. In conclusion, these medical terminologies for prescription, diseases, organs, parts of the body are useful for the people in the medical field although common people find it difficult. But, as discussed, sometimes the same acronym for two causes confusion and is thus fatal. Common people may not have a proper idea of these words. And, can now use this list of medical abbreviation and find the answer to queries related to your diagnosis.
