Medical Abbreviations (A-H)

Question 1

ABG

Answer 1

(arterial blood gas) - blood draw from an artery used to assess patients’ acid/base status

Question 2

AV

Answer 2

(atrioventricular) - having to do with both the atria and the ventricles of the heart

Question 3

BMP

Answer 3

(basic metabolic panel) - a collection of laboratory values that includes sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide (bicarbonate), calcium, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and glucose

Question 4

BUN

Answer 4

(blood urea nitrogen) - test used to measure the amount of nitrogen in the blood and can correlate with renal function. It is a byproduct of protein breakdown by the liver and is removed by the kidneys. If it is elevated then there may be a decrease of kidney function.

Question 5

CABG

Answer 5

(coronary artery bypass graft) - surgical treatment for severe coronary artery disease in which a vein or artery is removed from one part of hte body and is connected to the blocked coronary artery. This forms a bypass of blood around the blockage.

Question 6

CAD

Answer 6

(coronary artery disease) - buildup of cholesterol (plaque) in the arteries that supply blood to the heart that causes them to be hardened or narrowed. The buildup is called atherosclerosis and can lead to angina or a heart attack

Question 7

CBC

Answer 7

(complete blood count) - a collection of laboratory values that includes red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct) and platelets (Pit)

Question 8

CT or CAT

Answer 8

(computerized (axial) tomography) - medical imaging procedure that produces tomographic (slices) images of the body. The cross-sectional images are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Question 9

CO

Answer 9

(cardiac output) - the volume of blood being pumped by the heart by a left or right ventricle in the time interval of one minute. Combined sum of output from the right ventricle and the output from the left ventricle during the phase of systole.

Question 10

CVA

Answer 10

(cerebrovascular accident) - AKA stroke. It is the sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen when the blood flow to the brain is compromised. It can can be due to blockage of an artery (ischemia) or rupture of an artery (hemorrhage)

Question 11

CSF

Answer 11

(cerebral spinal fluid) - clear colorless fluid that acts as a cushion or buffer for the brain and provides mechanical and immunologic protection. It also serves to autoregulate cerebral blood flow. It occupies the subarachnoid space, the ventricles and around the spinal cord

Question 12

DVT

Answer 12

(deep vein thrombosis) - blood clot in a deep vein, usually the legs. The patient can be asymptomatic or have non-specific signs such as pain, swelling, redness, or warmness. A serious complication of a DVT is when the clot or portion of the clot dislodges (embolizes) and travels to the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism (PE) which is life-threatening.

Question 13

FH

Answer 13

(family history) - the part of a medical history that includes information about a patient’s family. It can be used to determine risk of current or future diseases in some cases.

Question 14

GFR

Answer 14

(glomerular filtration rate) - calculation to asses how well the kidneys filter blood by measuring how many milliliters of blood pass through the glomeruli per minute (mL/min); used to stage kidney disease.

Question 15

HEENT

Answer 15

(head, eyes, ears, nose, throat) - Part of the physical exam of a patient that includes theses areas

Question 16

H & H

Answer 16

(hemoglobin and hematocrit) - Laboratory values that assess a patient’s oxygen capacity of the blood and red blood cell production

Question 17

HPI

Answer 17

(history of present illness) - description of the reason the patient is presenting to see a physician or other practitioner at a clinic or hospital