Appendix 1 Medical abbreviations
Introduction
Abbreviations are widely used throughout all areas of life. While some abbreviations are so well known as to be accepted as part of everyday conversation, other abbreviations are very specific to a particular profession or even a specialty within a profession. This can easily lead to confusion, as the meaning of the abbreviation may not be immediately clear to the reader or listener. Indeed some abbreviations have a number of different interpretations and it is important to take them within context. For instance, ‘aka’ is widely understood to mean ‘also known as’, but can also stand for above knee amputation. While NPA might immediately suggest the National Pharmaceutical Association to the majority of the readers of this book, found in a set of medical records it is more likely to refer to nasopharyngeal aspirate. Perhaps more confusingly BM can be used for bone marrow, bowel movement, or blood sugar level (in reference to the type of reagent strip used to measure the blood sugar). It would be easy to recommend that abbreviations were never used, but with the sheer volume of information that requires recording and the often linguistically challenging terminology, their use is inevitable. Listed below are some of the more widely used terms adopted by the medical profession in the UK including a separate section on the abbreviations commonly used to document physical examination findings. A useful Web-based resource offers over 200 000 medical, pharmaceutical, biomedical and healthcare acronyms and abbreviations and can be found at http://www.medilexicon.com/. However, it is best, as with all things in life, never to assume.
Common medical abbreviations
ABO Blood group classification
ACTH Adrenocorticotrophic hormone
AD(H)D Attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder
ADL Activities of daily living
AF Anterior fontanelle, atrial fibrillation
AIDS Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
ALL Acute lymphocytic leukaemia
ALTEs Acute life-threatening episodes
APLS Advanced paediatric life support
ARDS Adult respiratory distress syndrome
ASCVD Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease
ASHD Atherosclerotic heart disease
ASO(T) Antistreptolysin O (titre)
AV Arteriovenous, atrioventricular
BBB Bundle branch block, blood–brain barrier
BCG Bacillus Calmette–Guerin vaccine (against tuberculosis)
BEAM Brain electrical activity mapping
Beta HCG Human chorionic gonadotrophin
BM Bowel movement, bone marrow, blood sugar
BPD Bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, bronchopulmonary dysplasia
BPH Benign prostatic hypertrophy
BPLS Basic paediatric life support
BS Bowel sounds, breath sounds, blood sugar
BSER Brain stem-evoked response
C1 First cervical vertebra, etc.
CAB(G) Coronary artery bypass (graft)
CAPD Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
C(A)T Computed (axial) tomography
CCF Congestive cardiac failure
CCU Coronary care unit, clean catch urine
CDH Congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital dislocated hips
CIBD Chronic inflammatory bowel disease
CLL Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
CO Carbon monoxide, cardiac output
COAD Chronic obstructive airway disease
co-arct Coarctation of the aorta
COLD Chronic obstructive lung disease
COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
CPAP Continuous positive airways pressure
C(P)K Creatinine (phospho)kinase
CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
CVA Cerebrovascular accident, costovertebral angle
CVS Cardiovascular system, chorionic villus sampling
DIC Disseminated intravascular coagulation
DIP Distal interphalangeal joint
DNA Did not attend (outpatient)
DPL Diagnostic peritoneal lavage
DPT Diptheria, pertussis, tetanus vaccine
DSA Digital subtraction angiography
ECMO Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
EDD Expected date of delivery (baby)
ELBW Extremely low birth weight
ERCP Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
ESR Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
EUA Examination under anaesthetic
FB Finger breadths, foreign body
FDPs Fibrin degradation products
FEV1 Forced expiratory volume (in 1 second)
FISH Fluorescent in situ hybridization
FOB Faecal occult blood, foot of the bed
FSH Follicle stimulating hormone
FTNVD Full-term normal vaginal delivery
GFR Glomerular filtration rate
GI(T) Gastrointestinal (tract)
G6PD Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
GU Genitourinary, gastric ulcer
HCVD Hypertensive cardiovascular disease
HDN Haemolytic disease of the newborn
HFO High-frequency oscillation
HI Haemaglutination inhibition, head injury
HIE Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy
HIV Human immunodeficiency virus
HOCM Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
HPI History of presenting illness
HRT Hormone replacement therapy
HSP Henoch–Schönlein purpura, hereditary spastic paraparesis
HUS Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
IABP Intra-aortic balloon pump
IDD Insulin-dependent diabetic
IDM Infant of a diabetic mother
IHSS Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis
IMV Intermittent mandatory ventilation
INR International normalized ratio (prothrombin time)
IPPV Intermittent positive pressure ventilation
IRDS Idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome
ITP Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
IUD Intrauterine device, intrauterine death
IUGR Intrauterine growth retardation
IVH Intraventricular haemorrhage
JRA Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
L1 First lumbar vertebra, etc.
LA Local anaesthetic, left atrium
LAD Left anterior descending (coronary artery), left axis deviation
LP Light perception, lumbar puncture
LSCS Lower segment caesarean section
LVH Left ventricular hypertrophy
LVOT Left ventricular outflow tract
MAOIs Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
MCH Mean corpuscular haemoglobin
MCHC Mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration
MCU Micturating cystourethrogram
MI Mitral incompetence or insufficiency, myocardial infarction
MMR Mumps, measles, rubella vaccine
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging
MRSA Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
MS Mitral stenosis, morphine sulphate, multiple sclerosis
NAD Nothing abnormal detected, no active disease, no acute distress
NCPAP Nasal continuous positive airways pressure
NICU Neonatal intensive care unit
NIDDM Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
NMR Nuclear magnetic resonance
NSR Normal sinus rhythm, no sign of recurrence
Obs-Gyn Obstetrics and gynaecology
OGD Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy
OTC Over the counter (medicine)
PA Posteroanterior, pulmonary artery
PaCo2 Partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood
PaO2 Partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood
PCA Patient-controlled analgesia
PCO2 Partial pressure of carbon dioxide
PDA Persistent ductus arteriosus
PE Physical examination, pulmonary embolus
PEEP Positive end expiratory pressure
PEFR Peak expiratory flow rate
PERRLA Pupils equal, round, react to light and accommodation
PET Positron emission tomography
PID Pelvic inflammatory disease, prolapsed intervertebral disc
PIP Proximal interphalangeal joint
PMD Post micturition dribbling
PND Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea
PO2 Partial pressure of oxygen
PPD Purified protein derivative (of tuberculin)
PPHN Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
PR Per rectum, pulmonary regurgitation
PROM Premature rupture of membranes
PT Physiotherapy, prothrombin time
PTC Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram
PTCA Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
PTT Partial thromboplastin time
PVC Premature ventricular contraction
PVD Peripheral vascular disease
PVL Periventricular leukomalacia
PVR Pulmonary vascular resistance
RA Rheumatoid arthritis, right atrium
RAIU Radioactive iodine uptake
RBBB Right bundle branch block
RBC Red blood cell, red blood count
RDS Respiratory distress syndrome
RF Renal failure, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid factor
Rh neg. (Rh−) Rhesus factor negative
Rh pos. (Rh+) Rhesus factor positive
ROM Range of movement, ruptured membranes
ROP Retinopathy of prematurity
RSV Respiratory syncytial virus
RV Residual volume, right ventricle
RVH Right ventricular hypertrophy
SB Stillbirth, short of breath
SBE Subacute bacterial endocarditis
SBFT Small bowel follow through
SCC Sickle cell crisis, squamous cell carcinoma
SCID Severe combined immunodeficiency
SH Social history, serum hepatitis
SIADH Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone
SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome
SLE Systemic lupus erythematosus
S(A)LT Speech (and) language therapist
SOB(OE) Short of breath (on exertion)
SPECT Single photon emission computed tomography
STD Sexually transmitted disease
STOP Suction termination of pregnancy
SVD Spontaneous vaginal delivery
SVT Supraventricular tachycardia
T1 First thoracic vertebra, etc.
T&A Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy
TBA To be arranged, to be administered
TED stocking Thromboembolic deterrent stocking
TGA Transposition of great arteries
TIA Transient ischaemic attack
TIBC Total iron binding capacity
TLC Tender loving care, total lung capacity
TOF Tetralogy of Fallot, tracheo-oesophageal fistula
TORCH screen Toxoplasma, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex infection screen
TPN Total parenteral nutrition
TPR Temperature, pulse, respirations
TSH Thyroid stimulating hormone
TTAs To take away (discharge medicines)
TTN Transient tachypnoea of the newborn
TTOs To take out (discharge medicines)
TURP Transurethral resection of prostate
TVH Total vaginal hysterectomy
UC Ulcerative colitis, umbilical cord
UR(T)I Upper respiratory (tract) infection
UTA Unable to attend (outpatient appointment)
VDRL Venereal disease research laboratory
VF(ib) Ventricular fibrillation
VP Venous pressure, ventriculoperitoneal
VPB Ventricular premature beats
VQ scan Ventilation perfusion scan
VZIG Varicella zoster immune globulin
WR Ward round, Wasserman reaction
Common abbreviations used to document physical examination findings
!o JAClCyL No jaundice, anaemia, clubbing, cyanosis or lymphadenopathy
o LKKS No liver, kidney, kidney, spleen palpable
