MEDICAL ABBREVIATIONS & HIEROGLYPHS

+++ Much / many / present

in excess
# Fracture
∆ Diagnosis
Diff ∆ or ∆∆ Differential diagnosis
Px Nil / nothing / no
J° No jaundice
↑ Up / increasing
N, → Down, decreasing
Central (of the
┴ trachea)
1/7 One day
2/52 Two weeks
3/12 3 months
T38.6° Temperature 38.6
T-14 Term (ie baby’s due
date) less 2 weeks
T+7 Term plus 1 week
35+4/40 35 weeks & 4 days
37+3/40 37 weeks and 3 days
= Equivalent to
3 OK or satisfactory

AAL Anterior axillary line

ABG Arterial Blood Gas (also ‘SATs) Blood test to see how
much oxygen there is in
the blood (percentage
saturation with oxygen)
ACTH Adrenocorticotropic hormone
AE Air entry
AF Atrial Fibrillation Irregular heartbeat
AFB Acid fast bacillus 9tbO
AFP Alpha-fetoprotein Maternal serum and
occasionally amniotic
fluid levels tested in
pregnancy to screen for
neural tube defect in
fetus
AJ Ankle jerk Reflex; see also BJ, KJ,
SJ, TJ
Anti-D Type of gamma globulin Must be given by
injection to Rhesus
negative mother who
delivers/aborts Rhesus
positive baby to prevent
mother developing
antibodies which could
damage a subsequent
Rhesus positive baby.
Apgar Apgar score Means of recording baby's
condition at birth by
observing and scoring
(0, 1 or 2) 5
parameters

A/V Anteverted
Bd / bid Twice a day
BJ Biceps jerk Hitting the arm with a
patella hammer to test
reflexes
BNF British National Formulary Prescriber's bible
supplied free to all NHS
doctors. New edition each
year.
BO Bowels open
BNO Bowels not opened
BOR Bowels opened regularly
BP + date British Pharmacopoeia
BP Blood pressure
BPd Diastolic Blood Pressure The lower blood pressure
(heart relaxed)
BPs Systolic Blood Pressure The higher blood pressure
(heart contracted)
BS Breath sounds
Bowel sounds
Blood sugar

C With (Latin, cum)

C2H5OH Alcohol
Ca (a) Carcinoma / cancer
(b) Calcium
Caps Capsules

CAT scan Computed axial tomograph

CNS Central nervous system
CFS Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Also called ME
CO Complaining of

CO2 Carbon Dioxide

COETT Cuffed oral endotracheal tube (see
COT & ETT)
COT Cuffed oral tube Endotracheal tube used
for ventilating a patient
who cannot breath unaided
CPD Cephalo-pelvic disproportion Baby too big to fit
through pelvis
CRP C-reactive protein
CSF Cerebro-spinal fluid
CT or CAT Computerised Axial Tomography Body Scan
CTG Cardiotacograph Trace during labour of
 baby's heart and mum’s
contractions
CVA Cardio-vascular accident Stroke
CVS Cardio-vascular system
Cx Cervix or cervical spine
CXR Chest X-ray

DH Drug history
DNA (a) Did not attend
(b) Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNR Do not resuscitate
D & V Diarrhoea and vomiting
DOA Dead on arrival
DVT Deep vein thrombosis
Dx Diagnosis

EGG Electro-cardiogram Electric heart recording

ECT Electro-convulsive therapy
EDC Expected date of confinement
EDO Expected date of delivery
EEC Electroencephalogram Brain scan
ENT Ear, nose & throat
ERCP Endoscopic retrograde
choledochopancreatico/graphy/scopy
ERPC Evacuation of retained products of
conception
ESR Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
(blood)
EtOH Another code for alcohol
ETT Endotracheal tube

FBC Full blood count

FBS Full blood sampling (carried out
during labour to check baby's
condition)
FH Family history
FHH Fetal heart heard
FHHR Fetal heart heard regular
FHR Fetal heart rate
FLK Funny looking kid
FMF Fetal movements felt
FROM Full range of movement
FSE Fetal scalp electrode
FSH (a) Family and social history (a) Family and social
(b) Follicle stimulating hormone history
FTT Failure to thrive
Fx Fracture

GA General anaesthetic
GCS Glasgow Coma Scale
GFR Glomerular filtration rate
GIT Gastro-intestinal tract
GTT Glucose tolerance test
GUT Genito-urinary tract

Hb Haemoglobin
HBP High Blood Pressure
HNPU Has not passed urine
HPC History of presenting complaint
HR Heart rate
HS Heart sounds
HVS High vaginal swab
Hx History

ICS Intercostal space Usually as xICS, where x=

a number from 1 to 11

IJ Internal jugular vein

IM Intramuscular
IVI Intravenous infusion (drip)

JVP Jugular vein pressure

K Potassium
KJ Knee jerk
kPa Kilopascal, approximately 7.5mmHg

L Litre
LA Local anaesthetic
LFTs Liver function tests Blood tests for liver
function
LIH Left inguinal hernia
LMP Last menstrual period
LN Lymph node
LOA Left occiput anterior Position of baby’s head
at delivery; see also
LOP, ROA, ROP
LOC Loss of consciousness
LOL Left occipitolateral
LOP Left occiput posterior
LSCS Lower segment caesarian section The "normal" type of
caesarian
LSKK Liver, spleen and kidneys

Mcg Microgram
MCL Midclavicular line An imaginary line down
the body from the middle
of the collarbone to the
described area
MCV Mean corpuscular volume A measure of the size of
red blood cells
ME Myalgic Encephalomyletis Also called Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome
Μg Microgram
mg Milligram
MI Myocardial Infarction
mist Mixture
ml Millilitre
mmHg Millimetres of mercury (pressure)
mMol Millimole
MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging Body / Brain scan

N & V Nausea and vomiting

Na Sodium
NaCHO3 Sodium bicarbonate Alkaline substance; inter
alia given to counteract
metabolic acidosis
following oxygen
deprivation
NAD Nothing abnormal diagnosed /
detected
NAI Non-accidental Injury
NBM Nil by mouth
NBI No bone injury
NFR Not for resuscitation
ng Nanogram
NG Carcinoma (neoplastic growth)
NLM Nice looking mother
NMCS No malignant cells seen
NOF Neck of femur
N/S Normal size

O2 Oxygen
OA Occipito-anterior
o.d Once a day
OE On examination
Om In the morning
On At night
OP Occipito-posterior

P Pulse
Π Period
Pco2 Partial pressure of carbon dioxide
(normally in blood)
PERLA Pupils are equal and react to
light and accommodation
PE (a) pulmonary embolism
(b) Pre eclampsia
PET Pre-eclamptic toxaemia
PFR Peak Flow Rate Breathing test – speed of
expiration
pg Picogram
pH Negative low of hydrogen ion Acidity and alkalinity
activity: scale. Low is acidic,
high is alkaline. pH7 is
about neutral.
PH Past/previous history
PID (a) Pelvic inflammatory disease
(b) Prolapsed invertebral disc

PMH or PHx Past medical history

PN (R) percussio note (resonant)
PO2 Partial pressure of oxygen
(normally in blood)
POH Past obstetric history
po per os (by mouth)
pr per rectum
prn As required, of eg, pain killers
pv per vaginam

RBC Red blood cell (erythrocyte)

Rh Rhesus blood type Can cause problems in
pregnancy if mother is
Rhesus negative and
father is Rhesus positive
RIH Right inguinal hernia
ROA Right occiput anterior
ROL Right occiput lateral
ROM Range of movement
ROP Right occiput posterior
RS Respiratory system
RTI Respiratory tract infection
Rx Prescription or treatment

s Without (latin sine)

S/B Seen by
S/D Systolic/diastolic (heart &
circulation)
SH Social history
SJ Supinator jerk
SOA Swelling of ankles
SOB (OE) Short of breath (on exertion)
SOS (a) si opus sit (if necessary)
(b) see other sheet

SROM Spontaneous rupture of membranes

(labour)
SVC Superior vena cava
SVD Spontaneous vaginal delivery
SVT Supraventricular tachycardia

TCI 2/52 To come in, in 2 weeks time

TGH To go home
THR Total hip replacement
TIA Transient ischaemic attack
TJ Triceps jerk
TVF Tactile vocal fremitus

U & E Urea and electrolytes (biochemical

tests)
URTI Upper respiratory tract infection
USS Ultrasound Scan

VE Vaginal examination
VF Ventricular fibrillation
VT Ventricular tachycardia
V/V Vulva and vagina

WBC White blood corpuscle / white

blood cell count

XR X-ray

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Free alphabetical list of common medical abbreviations.

15 page medical abbreviation summary.

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