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Membership
News Medical Abbreviations
Courses & Events
GP Training Abbreviation Translation Further Information
Revalidation 0 Not Present OR No abnormality Also in superscript e.g. ……..o
Professional +/- Uncertain/equivocal
Development + Present or Noted
Services ++ Present Significantly
Publications +++ Present in Excess

Clinical and Research = Equivalent to

Get Involved 3 OK or satisfactory

Hitting the ankle with a patella
RCGP International A Ankle Jerk/Reflex
hammer to test reflexes
Patient Information Swelling of the main artery in the
AAA Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Patient Partnership abdomen

Group Imaginary line drawn from the front

AAL Anterior Axillary Line
arm pit down the chest wall
PPG Activities
Blood test to see how much oxygen
PPG Membership ABG Arterial Blood Gas also "Sats" there is in the blood (percentage
‘saturation’ with oxygen)
PPG Publications &
An imaginary line down the front of
Statements Anterior Clavicular Line OR Anterior the body from the inner end of the
ACL
PPG FAQ Cruciate Ligament collarbone OR a ligament in the
knee
Emma's Diary
A.d As Directed
Your Surgery
Air Entry to Lungs OR
A/E
Patients P3 Accident & Emergency

Policy AF Atrial Fibrillation Irregular heart beat

About the College AI/R Aortic Incompetence/regurgitation Leaking heart valve.

AoR Aortic Valve Replacement
Contact Us
Abdominal System OR Aortic Aortic Stenosis is a narrowed heart
AS
Stenosis valve
AXR Abdominal X-Ray
bd/bid Twice a Day
Hitting the arm with a patella
B Biceps Jerk/Reflex
hammer to test reflexes
BCC Basal Cell Carcinoma Skin Cancer – Very Low Malignancy
A measure of body size relating to
BMI Body Mass Index
height and weight
BNO Bowels Not Opened
BOR Bowels Open Regularly
BP Blood Pressure
The lower blood pressure (heart
BPd Diastolic Blood Pressure
relaxed)
 The higher blood pressure (heart
BPs Systolic Blood Pressure
contracted)
CA or Ca (also
Carcinoma Cancer
indicated by "*")
Coronary Artery (Bypass) Heart surgery to bypass blocked
CABG/S or CAG/S
Graft/Surgery blood supply
CFS Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Also called ME
CNS Central Nervous System
C/o or C.o Complains of
Chronic Obstructive Airways
COAD Chronic lung disease
Disease
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
COPD Chronic lung disease
Disease
CT or CAT Computerised Axial Tomography Body Scan
CVA Cerebrovascular Accident Stroke
CVS Cardiovascular System The heart and blood vessels
Cervix is the neck of the womb
CX or Cx Cervix OR Cervical Spine For example, Cx smear = Cervical
smear
CXR Chest X-ray
D&V Diarrhoea and Vomiting
D/H Drug History
Dorsal/proximal interphalangeal
DIP, PIP Finger joints
joints
DLE Discoid Lupus Erythematosus A connective tissue disorder
DNA Did Not Attend
DS Disseminated (Multiple) Sclerosis
DU Duodenal Ulcer
DVT Deep Vein Thrombosis Blood clot – usually in leg
DXT Deep X-ray Treatment Radiotherapy
EAM External Auditory Meatus Ear canal opening
ECG Electrocardiograph Electrical heart trace
EMU Early Morning Specimen of Urine
Head of baby low in pelvis (in
ENG Head engaged (Baby)
Womb)
ENT Ear, Nose & Throat
ESR Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate A blood test for inflammation
FBC Full Blood Count
FBG/S Fasting Blood Glucose/Sugar
FD Forceps Delivery
F/H or FH Family History
FHH/R Foetal Heart Heard/Regular Baby’s heartbeat in the womb
FROM Full Range of Movement
FTD Formal Thought Disorder Psychiatric disorder
FTND Full Term Normal Delivery
Consciousness state; score out of
GCS Glasgow Coma Scale
15
GI or GIT Gastro Intestinal/Tract To do with the intestines
Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Back flow of stomach acid into the
GORD
Disease gullet
Relating to kidneys, bladder &
GU or GUT or GUS Genito Urinary/Tract/ System
genitals
GU Gastric Ulcer
For sexually transmitted
GUM Genito-Urinary Medicine
diseases/infections
A measure of blood count (eg in
Hb Haemoglobin
Anaemia)
Part of stomach displaced above
HH Hiatus Hernia
diaphragm
HI Head Injury
HNPU Has Not Passed Urine
HR Heart Rate
HS Heart Sounds
HT Height
Hx History (of complaint)
IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IGT or IGTN In Growing Toenail
IMB Intermenstrual Bleeding Vaginal bleeding between periods
"In Status Quo" - Nothing has
ISQ
Changed
X-ray of kidneys using an injected
IVP Intravenous Pyelogram
dye
Ix Investigations
Neck Vein – back pressure from the
JVP Jugular Venous Pressure
heart
Knee Jerk/Reflex OR serum
K
potassium
X-ray or ultrasound of renal track
KUB Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder
(IVP)
LFT Liver Function Test Blood tests for liver function
LIF Left Iliac Fossa Left groin
LIH Left Inguinal Hernia Hernia of left groin
LKKS Liver, kidney, kidney, spleen Result of examination
LOC Loss of Consciousness
LN Lymph Node
Needle inserted into the spine for
LP Lumbar puncture
diagnostic purposes
L/R/ IH Left or Right Inguinal Hernia Hernia of groins
LS Lymph System
Lower (Uterine) Segment
LSCS or LUSCS
Caesarean section
LUQ Left Upper Quadrant Left upper part of abdomen
Mane In the Morning
Microscopy & Culture Sensitivity of
M&C (S) Of a sample e.g. urine
Bacteria
An imaginary line down the body
MCL Mid Clavicular Line from the middle of the collarbone to
the described area
A measure of the size of red blood
MCV Mean Corpuscular Volume
cells
Also called Chronic Fatigue
ME Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Syndrome
MET/S Metastases Cancer spread
Myocardial Infarction OR Mitral Heart attack OR leaking heart valve
MI
Incompetence (sometimes MR)
mitte or mite Dispense this number of tablets
MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging Body/Brain Scan
Multiple Sclerosis OR Mitral Mitral Stenosis is a narrowed heart
MS
Stenosis valve
MSS Musculo-Skeletal System
MSE Mental State Examination
MSU or MSSU Mid-Stream Urine Sample
NAD Nothing Abnormal Discovered
NBI No Bone Injury
Nocte At Night
NFR Not For Resuscitation
N&V Nausea & Vomiting
OA Osteoarthritis ‘Wear & Tear’ Arthritis
OC/COC ( Combined) Oral Contracepti ve
OCT Orthotopic Cardiac Transplant Heart Transplant
o.d. Once a Day
O/E or o.e On Examination
Telescope examination of stomach
OGD Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy
and gullet
on At Night
om In the Morning
OM (R/L) Otitis Media Ear infection
Open Reduction and Internal
ORIF Operation to set a broken bone
Fixation (of fracture)
Over the counter (bought
otc
medication)
P Pulse
PCB Post Coital Bleeding Vaginal bleeding after intercourse
PCC Post Coital Contraception "Morning after" pill
PE Pulmonary Embolism Blood clot on the lung
Pupils equal and reacting to light On examination of nervous
PERLA
and accommodation system/eyes
PF(R) Peak Flow (Rate) Breathing test – speed of expiration
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease OR Gynaecological infection OR
PID
Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc Slipped Disc
PM Post mortem examination
PMH also PHx Previous Medical History
PND Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnoea Short of breath at night
PO Per Orim By Mouth
Progesterone Only Pill OR Minipill
POP
Plaster of Paris Cast
Pulses felt for example in the feet,
PPs Peripheral pulses
ankles etc…
PR Per Rectum Rectal examination
PRN As Required
Opening up the main arteries of the
Percutaneous transluminal
PTCA heart using a balloon inserted
coronary angioplasty
usually near the groin
PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Peptic Ulcer – Stomach or Duodenal
PU Peptic Ulcer OR Passed urine
Ulcer
PV Per Vagina Vaginal examination
 Furring up of the blood vessels of
PVD Peripheral Vascular Disease
the limbs
qds (or) qid Four times a day
Rate of breathing in breaths per
R (R) Respiration (Rate)
minute
RA Rheumatoid Arthritis
Difficulty in breathing – usually in
RDS Respiratory Distress Syndrome
premature babies
Renal (Kidney) Function tests OR
RFT
Respiratory Function tests
RIF Right Iliac Fossa Right groin
RIH Right Inguinal Hernia Hernia in right groin
R/L Right/Left
R/L HC Right/Left Hypochordrium Right/Left upper abdomen
R/LIF Right/Left Iliacfossa Right/Left groin
R/LOL or RLOP Right/Left occipito lateral / posterior Position of baby’s head in womb
RS Respiratory System
RSI Repetitive Strain Injury Usually of wrist
RTA Road Traffic Accident
RUQ Right Upper Quadrant Right upper abdomen
Rx Prescription or Treatment Usually prescription
Hitting the arm with a patella
S Supinator (jerk /reflex)
hammer to test reflexes
SBG Serum Blood Glucose Blood Sugar Level
SLR Straight Leg Raising
SMR Submucosal Resection Nasal operation
SOB Short of Breath
SOL Space Occupying Lesion Tumour, usually of head
SOM Secretary Otitis Media Middle ear infection/glue ear
SOS In an Emergency
SR Sinus rhythm Normal heart beat
Stat Immediately
STD Sexually Transmitted Disease
STI Sexually Transmitted Infection
SVD Spontaneous Vertex Delivery Normal delivery
Sx Symptoms
SkXR Skull X-ray
Triceps Jerk/Reflex OR Hitting the arm with a patella
T
Temperature hammer to test reflexes
Temperature raised upwards or
Tá â
downwards
T (usually with a Breathing tube not displaced. If
circle with a dot in Trachea Central displaced, direction of displacement
the centre) usually indicated by an arrow
TATT Tired all the Time
TB Tuberculosis
To come in-date or fact that a
TCI person is due to be admitted to
hospital
tds (or) tid Three Times a Day
TFTs Thyroid Function Test
THR Total Hip Replacement
 Small, short lived stroke – often
TIA Transient Ischaemic Attack
recurrent
TKR Total Knee Replacement
Treat only with symptom relief and
TLC Tender Loving Care nursing care, usually meaning that
this is all that is needed.
TM or Tm Tympanic Membrane Ear drum
Ts&As Tonsilectomy and Adenoidectomy
TShR Total Shoulder Replacement
TTO/A To take home/away (medication)
Transurethral (resection) of Operation on the prostate gland
TU(R)P
Prostate carried out through the penis
UC Ulcerative Colitis
U&Es Urea and Electrolytes Blood test for kidney function
USS Ultra Sound Scan
UTI Urinary Tract Infection
Rapid uncoordinated heart beat
usually leading to collapse, and
VF Ventricular Fibrillation
need for defibrillation (electric heart
shock)
Vaginal suction termination of
V/S/TOP
pregnancy
VT Ventricular Tachycardia Fast heart beat
wbc White Blood Cell Count
Wt Weight

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