Common Medical Abbreviations

Front 1

AED

Back 1

automated external defibrillator

Front 2

AF / A-fib

Back 2

atrial defibrillation

Front 3

AK

Back 3

above the knee

Front 4

AKA

Back 4

above the knee amputation

Front 5

AMA

Back 5

against medical advice

Front 6

AP

Back 6

1. antero-posterior

2. arteriole pressure

3. anterior pituitary

Front 7

ASA

Back 7

aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)

Front 8

BGL

Back 8

blood glucose level

Front 9

BKA

Back 9

below the knee amputation

Front 10

BM

Back 10

bowel movement

Front 11

BP

Back 11

blood pressure

Front 12

BPM

Back 12

beats per minute

Front 13

BS

Back 13

1. blood sugar

2. breath sounds

3. bowel sounds

Front 14

BSA

Back 14

body surface area

Front 15

BVM

Back 15

bag-valve mask

Front 16

bx

Back 16

biopsy

Front 17

CA

Back 17

1. cancer

2. cardiac arrest

3. coronary artery

Front 18

CAD

Back 18

coronary artery disease

Front 19

CBC

Back 19

complete blood cell count

Front 20

CC

Back 20

chief complaint

Front 21

CCU

Back 21

coronary care unit

Front 22

CHF

Back 22

congestive heart failure

Front 23

CNS

Back 23

central nervous system

Front 24

CO

Back 24

1. cardiac output

2. carbon monoxide

Front 25

COPD

Back 25

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Front 26

CP

Back 26

1. chest pain

2. cerebral palsy

Front 27

CPR

Back 27

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Front 28

CRT

Back 28

capillary refill time

Front 29

CSF

Back 29

cerebrospinal fluid

Front 30

CVA

Back 30

cerebrovascular accident

Front 31

DM

Back 31

diabetes mellitus

Front 32

DNR

Back 32

do not resuscitate

Front 33

DOA

Back 33

dead on arrival

Front 34

DOE

Back 34

dyspnea on exertion

Front 35

DSD

Back 35

dry sterile dressing

Front 36

Dx

Back 36

diagnosis

Front 37

ECG

Back 37

electrocardiogram

Front 38

ED

Back 38

1. emergency department

2. erectile disfunction

Front 39

EKG

Back 39

electrocardiogram

Front 40

ENT

Back 40

ears, nose, and throat

Front 41

EOC

Back 41

emergency operations center

Front 42

ER

Back 42

emergency room

Front 43

ETA

Back 43

estimated time of arrival

Front 44

FBS

Back 44

fasting blood sugar

Front 45

FHR

Back 45

fetal heart rate

Front 46

FHx

Back 46

family history

Front 47

fx

Back 47

fracture

Front 48

GI

Back 48

gastrointestinal

Front 49

GSW

Back 49

gunshot wound

Front 50

HA / H/A

Back 50

headache

Front 51

Hb / Hgb

Back 51

hemoglobin

Front 52

HBV

Back 52

hepatitis B virus

Front 53

Hct

Back 53

hematocrit

Front 54

HCV

Back 54

hepatitis C virus

Front 55

HIV

Back 55

human immuno-defiancy virus

Front 56

HPI

Back 56

history of present illness

Front 57

HR

Back 57

heart rate

Front 58

HTN

Back 58

hypertension

Front 59

Hx

Back 59

history

Front 60

ICS

Back 60

intercostal space

Front 61

IDDM

Back 61

insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Front 62

IMS

Back 62

incident management system

Front 63

IV

Back 63

intravenous

Front 64

LE

Back 64

1. lower extremity

2. left eye

Front 65

LLL

Back 65

left lower lobe of the lung

Front 66

LLQ

Back 66

left lower quadrant of the abdomen

Front 67

L/M / LPM

Back 67

litres per minute

Front 68

LMP

Back 68

last menstrual period

Front 69

LOC

Back 69

level of consciousness or loss of consciousness

Front 70

LUL

Back 70

left upper lobe of the lung

Front 71

LUQ

Back 71

left upper quadrant of the abdomen

Front 72

LVAD

Back 72

left ventricular assist device

Front 73

MAE

Back 73

move all extremities

Front 74

MI

Back 74

myocardial infraction

Front 75

MICU

Back 75

mobile or medical intensive care unit

Front 76

MOI

Back 76

mechanism of injury

Front 77

MVA

Back 77

motor vehicle accident

Front 78

MCV

Back 78

motor vehicle crash

Front 79

NA

Back 79

not applicable

Front 80

NAD

Back 80

1. no apparent distress

2. no appreciable disease

Front 81

NC

Back 81

nasal cannula

Front 82

NKA

Back 82

no known allergies

Front 83

NKDA

Back 83

no known drug allergies

Front 84

NPA

Back 84

nasopharyngeal airway

Front 85

NRB / NRBM

Back 85

non-rebreathing mask

Front 86

NSR

Back 86

normal sinus rythm

Front 87

N/V

Back 87

nausea and vomiting

Front 88

N/V/D

Back 88

nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

Front 89

OD

Back 89

1. overdose

2. right eye

Front 90

OP

Back 90

outpatient

Front 91

OPA

Back 91

oropharyngeal airway

Front 92

OR

Back 92

operating room

Front 93

OS

Back 93

left eye

Front 94

OU

Back 94

both eyes

Front 95

PE

Back 95

1. pulmonary embolism

2. physical examination

Front 96

PEARL / PERL

Back 96

pupils equal and reactive to light

Front 97

PEARLA

Back 97

pupils equal and reactive to light and accommodation

Front 98

PEARRL

Back 98

pupils equal and round, equal in size, react to light

Front 99

ped / peds

Back 99

pediatrics

Front 100

PERRL

Back 100

pupils equal, round and reactive to light

Front 101

PEEP

Back 101

positive end expiratory pressure

Front 102

PID

Back 102

pelvic inflammatory disease

Front 103

PMH

Back 103

past medical history

Front 104

PO

Back 104

postoperative "post-op"

Front 105

pt

Back 105

patient

Front 106

PT

Back 106

physical therapy

Front 107

PTA

Back 107

prior to admission

Front 108

PVC

Back 108

premature ventricular contraction

Front 109

PVD

Back 109

peripheral vascular disease

Front 110

RA

Back 110

1. rheumatoid arthritis

2. right atrium

Front 111

RAD

Back 111

1. reactive airway disease

2. rheumatoid arthritis

Front 112

RBC

Back 112

red blood cell

Front 113

RLL

Back 113

right lower lobe of the lung

Front 114

R/O

Back 114

rule out

Front 115

ROM

Back 115

1. range of motion

2. rupture of membranes

Front 116

RUL

Back 116

right upper lobe of the lung

Front 117

RUQ

Back 117

right upper quadrant of the abdomen

Front 118

Rx

Back 118

prescription

Front 119

SC

Back 119

subcutaneous

Front 120

SICU

Back 120

surgical intensive care unit

Front 121

SIDS

Back 121

sudden infant death syndrome

Front 122

SL

Back 122

sublingual

Front 123

SOB

Back 123

shortness of breath

Front 124

stat

Back 124

immediately

Front 125

STD

Back 125

sexually transmitted disease

Front 126

TB

Back 126

tuberculosis

Front 127

TBA

Back 127

1. to be admitted

2. to be announced

Front 128

TIA

Back 128

transient ischemic attack

Front 129

Tx

Back 129

treatment

Front 130

UA

Back 130

urineanalysis

Front 131

UE

Back 131

upper extremity

Front 132

URI

Back 132

upper respiratory infection

Front 133

UTI

Back 133

urinary tract infection

Front 134

VD

Back 134

venereal disease

Front 135

VF / V-fib

Back 135

ventricular fibrillation

Front 136

VS

Back 136

vital signs

Front 137

VT / V-tach

Back 137

ventricular tachycardia

Front 138

WBC

Back 138

white blood cell

Front 139

WMD

Back 139

weapon of mass destruction

Front 140

WNL

Back 140

within normal limits

Front 141

W/O

Back 141

without

Front 142

wt

Back 142

weight