The Most Common Medical Abbreviations
Here’s an alphabetically ordered list of common medical abbreviations, along with their full forms:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
| # | broken bone (fracture) |
| A&E | accident and emergency |
| a.c. | before meals |
| a.m., am, AM | morning |
| AF | atrial fibrillation |
| AMHP | approved mental health professional |
| APTT | activated partial thromboplastin time (a measure of how long it takes your blood to clot) |
| ASQ | Ages and Stages Questionnaire (a set of questions about children’s development) |
| b.d.s, bds, BDS | 2 times a day |
| b.i.d., bid, bd | twice a day / twice daily / 2 times daily |
| BMI | body mass index |
| BNO | bowels not open |
| BO | bowels open |
| BP | blood pressure |
| c/c | chief complaint |
| CMHN | community mental health nurse |
| CPN | community psychiatric nurse |
| CSF | cerebrospinal fluid |
| CSU | catheter stream urine sample |
| CT scan | computerised tomography scan |
| CVP | central venous pressure |
| CXR | chest X-ray |
| DNACPR | do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
| DNAR | do not attempt resuscitation |
| DNR | do not resuscitate |
| Dr | doctor |
| DVT | deep vein thrombosis |
| Dx | diagnosis |
| ECG | electrocardiogram |
| ED | emergency department |
| EEG | electroencephalogram |
| EMU | early morning urine sample |
| ESR | erythrocyte sedimentation rate (a type of blood test used to help diagnose conditions associated with inflammation) |
| EUA | examination under anaesthetic |
| FBC | full blood count (a type of blood test) |
| FOBT | faecal occult blood test (a test to check for blood traces in your poo) |
| FIT | faecal immunochemical test (a test to check for blood traces in your poo) |
| FY1 FY2 | foundation doctor |
| GA | general anaesthetic |
| gtt., gtt | drop(s) |
| h., h | hour |
| h/o | history of |
| Hb | haemoglobin (a substance in red blood cells that moves oxygen around the body) |
| HCA | healthcare assistant |
| HCSW | healthcare support worker |
| HDL | high-density lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol) |
| HRT | hormone replacement therapy |
| Ht | height |
| Hx | history |
| i | 1 tablet |
| ii | 2 tablets |
| iii | 3 tablets |
| i.m., IM | injection into a muscle |
| i.v., IV | injection directly to a vein |
| INR | international normalised ratio (a measure of how long blood takes to clot) |
| IVI | intravenous infusion |
| IVP | intravenous pyelogram (an X-ray of your urinary tract) |
| Ix | investigations |
| LA | local anaesthetic |
| LDL | low-density lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol) |
| LFT | liver function test (a type of blood test measuring enzymes and proteins in your liver) |
| LMP | last menstrual period |
| M/R | modified release |
| MRI | magnetic resonance imaging |
| MRSA | methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus |
| MSU | mid-stream urine sample |
| n.p.o., npo, NPO | nothing by mouth / not by oral administration |
| NAD | nothing abnormal discovered |
| NAI | non-accidental injury |
| NBM | nil by mouth |
| NG | nasogastric (running between your nose and stomach) |
| nocte | every night |
| NoF | neck of femur |
| NSAID | non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug |
| o.d., od, OD | once a day |
| o/e | on examination |
| OT | occupational therapist |
| p.c. | after food |
| p.m., pm, PM | afternoon or evening |
| p.o., po, PO | orally / by mouth / oral administration |
| POD | podiatrist |
| p.r., pr, PR | rectally |
| p.r.n., prn, PRN | as needed |
| p/c | presenting complaint |
| PT | physiotherapist |
| POP | plaster of paris |
| PTT | partial thromboplastin time (a measure of how quickly your blood clots) |
| PU | passed urine |
| q. | every |
| q.1.d., q1d | every day |
| q.1.h., q1h | every hour |
| q.2.h., q2h | every 2 hours |
| q.4.h., q4h | every 4 hours |
| q.6.h., q6h | every 6 hours |
| q.8.h., q8h | every 8 hours |
| q.d., qd | every day / daily |
| q.d.s, qds, QDS | 4 times a day |
| q.h., qh | every hour, hourly |
| q.i.d, qid | 4 times a day |
| q.o.d., qod | every other day / alternate days |
| q.s., qs | a sufficient quantity (enough) |
| RN | registered nurse |
| RNLD | learning disability nurse |
| ROSC | return of spontaneous circulation |
| RTA | road traffic accident |
| Rx | treatment |
| s.c., SC | injection under the skin |
| S/R | sustained release |
| SLT | speech and language therapist |
| SpR | specialist registrar |
| stat. | immediately, with no delay, now |
| STEMI | ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction |
| t.d.s, tds, TDS | 3 times a day |
| t.i.d., tid | 3 times a day |
| TCI | to come in |
| TFT | thyroid function test |
| TPN | total parenteral nutrition |
| TPR | temperature, pulse and respiration |
| TTA | to take away |
| TTO | to take out |
| U&E | urea and electrolytes |
| u.d., ud | as directed |
| UCC | urgent care centre |
| UTI | urinary tract infection |
| VLDL | very-low density lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol) |
| VTE | venous thromboembolism (a blood clot that forms in a vein) |
| Wt | weight |
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