Medical Abbreviations Flashcards
1
Q
a
A
artery
2
Q
ā
A
before
3
Q
aa
A
of each; arteries
4
Q
a.c.
A
before a meal
5
Q
acc.
A
accommodation
6
Q
AD
A
advance directive
7
Q
ADH
A
antidiuretic hormone
8
Q
ad lib.
A
freely; as desired
9
Q
ad sat.
A
to saturation
10
Q
AF
A
atrial fibrillation
11
Q
AI
A
aortic incompetence; aortic insufficiency
12
Q
alt. dieb.
A
every other day
13
Q
alt. hor.
A
every other hour
14
Q
alt. noc.
A
every other night
15
Q
AM
A
morning
16
Q
a.m.a.
A
against medical advice
17
Q
ant.
A
anterior
18
Q
A - P
A
anterior - posterior
19
Q
ap
A
before dinner
20
Q
AQ , aq
A
water
21
Q
aq. frig.
A
cold water
22
Q
ARC
A
AIDS - related complex
23
Q
A - V , AV , A / V
A
arteriovenous; atrioventricular
24
Q
av.
A
avoirdupois
a measure of weight of the avoirdupois and the apothecaries’ system that is equal to 16 oz.
25
BAC
blood alcohol content
26
bib.
drink
27
b.i.d.
twice a day
28
b.i.n.
twice a night
29
BK
below the knee
30
BM
bowel movement
31
BP
blood pressure
32
bpm
beats per minute
33
BSA
body surface area
34
BW
birth weight; body weight
35
Bx
biopsy
36
C
Calorie (kilocalorie); Celsius
37
c
calorie (small calorie)
38
cˉ
with
39
ca.
about; approximately; cancer
40
Cal
large calorie
41
CAP
let (the patient) take
42
cap.
capsule
43
cath
catheter
44
CBC
complete blood count
45
CC
chief complaint
46
CCU
coronary care unit; critical care unit
47
cg
centigram
48
CI
cardiac index
49
Ci
curie
(the quantity of a radioactive substance which has 3.7 x 10^10 transitions, or disintegrations, per second. On gram of radium has almost exactly 3.7 x 10^10 transitions per second. Thus 1 Ci of radium has a mass of exactly 1 g.)
50
CK
creatine kinase
51
cm
centimeter
52
c.m.s.
to be taken tomorrow morning
53
c.n.
tomorrow night
54
c.n.s.
to be taken tomorrow night
55
c/o
complains of
56
comp.
compound; compounded of
57
CS
cesarean section; culture & sensitivity
58
CSF
cerebrospinal fluid
59
CT
computed tomography
60
CV
cardiovascular
61
CVP
central venous pressure
62
CVRB
critical value read back
63
CVS
chorionic villi sampling
64
D
diopter (the refractive power of a lens); dose
65
d
density; right
66
/d
per day
67
D and C
dilatation and curettage
68
dB
decibel
| a unit for expressing logarithmically the pressure or power of sound
69
dc
discontinue
70
dieb. alt
every other day
71
dieb. tert.
every third day
72
dil.
dilute; diluted
73
dim.
halved
74
DNR
do not resuscitate
75
DOA
dead on arrival
76
DOB
date of birth
77
dr.
dram
| a unit of weight in the apothecaries', avoirdupois, and troy weights
78
DRG
diagnosis - related group
79
DTR
deep tendon reflex
80
dur. dolor
while pain lasts
81
Dx
diagnosis
82
E
eye; Escherichia
83
ECF
extended care facility; extracellular fluid
84
ECG or EKG
electrocardiogram; electrocardiograph
85
ECT
electroconvulsive therapy
86
ED
emergency department; effective dose; erythema dose; erectile dysfunction
87
EEG
electroencephalogram
88
elix.
elixer
89
EMG
electromyogram
90
ENT
ear, nose, and throat
91
EOM
extraocular muscles
92
ER
Emergency Room
93
f
female
94
FD
fatal dose; focal distance
95
Fld
fluid
96
FUO
fever of unknown origin
97
g or gm
gram
98
garg
gargle
99
GI
gastrointestinal
100
gr
grain
101
grad
by degrees
102
GRAS
generally recognized as safe
103
GTT
glucose tolerance test
104
Gtt or gtt
drops
105
GU
genitourinary
106
H
hydrogen
107
H+
hydrogen ion
108
h or hr
hour
109
HCT
hematocrit
110
HEENT
head, eye, ear, nose, and throat
111
hgb
hemoglobin
112
hor. decub.
bedtime
113
hor. som.
betime
114
h.s.
bedtime
115
HPI
history of present illness
116
HTN
hypertension
117
hx or Hx
history
118
I & O
intake and output
119
IBW
ideal body weight
120
IM
intramuscular
121
inj.
injection
122
instill.
instillation
123
IOP
intraocular pressure
124
IRV
inspiratory reserve volume
125
IUD
intrauterine device
126
IV
intravenous
127
IVP
intravenous pyelogram
128
J
joule
129
kg
kilogram
130
KUB
kidney, ureter, and bladder
131
L
liter
132
L & D
labor and delivery
133
lb
pound
134
LBW
low birth weight
135
LD50
lethal dose; median
136
LE
lower extremity; lupus erythematosus
137
LGA
large for gestational age
138
lig
ligament
139
liq.
liquid
140
LLE
left lower extremity
141
LLL
lower left lobe
142
LLQ
lower left quadrant
143
lmp
last menstrual period
144
LOC
level/loss of consciousness
145
LP
lumbar puncture
146
LTD
lowest tolerated dose
147
LUE
left upper extremity
148
LUL
left upper lobe
149
LUQ
left upper quadrant
150
LV
left ventricle
151
M
master; medicine; molar; thousand; muscle
152
m
male; meter; minim; mole; meta; muscle
153
man. prim.
first thing in the morning
154
MAP
mean arterial pressure
155
mc or mCi
millicurie
156
mcg
microgram
157
MDI
metered - dose inhaler
158
MED
minimum effective dose
159
μEq
microequivalent
160
mEq
milliequivalent
161
mEq/L
milliequivalent per liter
162
mg
milligram
163
MID
minimum ineffective dose
164
mist.
a mixture
165
mL
milliliter
166
mMol
millimol
167
mol wt
molecular weight
168
mor. dict.
as directed
169
mor. sol.
as accustomed
170
MPC
maximum permitted concentration
171
MLD
minimum lethal dose
172
MM
mucose membrane
173
mm
millimeter
174
mr
milliroentgen
| a unit describing the exposure dose of x-rays or gamma rays
175
MRA
magnetic resonance angiography
176
MRI
magnetic resonance imaging
177
mV
millivolt
178
MVA
motor vehicle accident
179
My
myopia
180
n
nerve
181
NAD
no acute distress
182
nCi
nanocurie
183
NG or ng
nasogastric
184
NICU
neonatal intensive care unit
185
NKA
no known allergies
186
nn
nerves
187
noct.
in the night
188
noct. maneq.
night and morning
189
non rep. or n.r.
do not repeat
190
n.p.o.
nothing by mouth
191
NSAID
non steroidal anti-inflammatoy drug
192
NSR
normal sinus rhythm
193
N&V or N/V
nausea and vomiting
194
O2
oxygen
195
om. mane vel noc.
every morning or night
196
omn. hor.
every hour
197
omn. noct.
every night
198
OOB
out of bed
199
OPD
outpatient department
200
OR
operating room
201
O.S.
left eye
202
os
mouth
203
OT
occupational therapy
204
OTC
over-the-counter
205
pˉ
after
206
P-A or PA or pa
posteroanterior; pulmonary artery
207
part. vic
in divided doses
208
p.c.
after meals
209
PCA
patient-controlled analgesia
210
P CO2
carbon dioxide pressure
211
PCWP
pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
212
pd
prism diopter; pupillary distance
213
PEEP
positive end expiratory pressure
214
PEFR
peak expiratory flow rate
215
per
through or by
216
PET
positron emission tomography
217
pH
hydrogen ion concentration
218
PI
present illness; previous illness
219
PICC
peripherally inserted central catheter
220
pil.
pill
221
PM
afternoon/evening
222
PMH
past medical history
223
PMI
point of maximal impulse
224
PO or p.o.
orally (per os)
225
post.
posterior
226
PPD
purified protein derivative (TB test)
227
ppm
parts per million
228
p.r.
through the rectum
229
p.r.n.
as needed
230
PT
prothrombin time; physical therapy
231
Pt
patient; platinum
232
p.v.
through the vagina
233
q
every
234
q.h.
every hour
235
q.2h.
every 2 hours
236
q.3h.
every 3 hours
237
q.4h.
every 4 hours
238
q.l.
as much as wanted
239
q.p.
as much as desired
240
q.s.
as much as needed
241
q.v.
as much as you please
242
rad
radiation absorbed dose
243
RBC
red blood cell; red blood count
244
RDA
recommended daily; dietary allowance
245
RE
right eye
246
REM
rapid eye movements
247
RLE
right lower extremity
248
RLL
right lower lobe
249
RLQ
right lower quadrant
250
RML
right middle lobe of lung
251
R/O
rule out
252
ROM
range of motion
253
RPM
revolutions per minute
254
RQ
respiratory quotient
255
RR
recovery room; respiratory rate
256
RT
radiation therapy; respiratory therapy
257
RUE
right upper extremity
258
RUL
right upper lobe
259
RUQ
right upper quadrant
260
sˉ
without
261
S.E.
standard error
262
semih.
half an hour
263
SGA
small for gestational age
264
SI
international system of units; stroke index
265
SOB
shortness of breath
266
sol
solution, dissolved
267
s.o.s.
if necessary
268
S/P
no change after
269
sp gr
specific gravity
270
ss
a half
271
st.
let it (them) stand
272
stat.
immediately
273
STU
skin test unit
274
Sx
symptoms
275
syr.
syrup
276
T
temperature
277
TENS
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
278
t.i.d.
three times a day
279
t.i.n.
three times a night
280
tinct. or tr
tincture
281
TLC or tlc
tender loving care; thin layer chromatography; total lung capacity
282
top.
topically
283
TPR
temperature, pulse, and respirations
284
TSD
time since death
285
Tx
treatment
286
UA
urinalysis
287
UE
upper extremity
288
ult. praes.
the last offered
289
Umb or umb
umbilicus
290
ung.
ointment
291
URI
upper respiratory infection
292
USP
United States Pharmacopeia
293
ut. dict.
as directed
294
UV
ultraviolet
295
v
vien
296
VA
visual acuity
297
Vf
field of vision
298
VLBW
very low birth weight
299
vol.
volume
300
vol %
volume percent
301
VORB
verbal order read back
302
vv
veins
303
WBC
white blood cell; white blood count
304
WDWN
well-developed and well-nouished
305
WH
well hydrated
306
WN
well nourished
307
WNL
within normal limits
308
wt.
weight
309
w/v
weight in volume
310
x
multiplied by
311
yo
years old
