Within the healthcare field, a complex language of acronyms and abbreviations permeates communication. While these shortcuts offer efficiency for medical professionals, they can leave patients and the public feeling bewildered.
Commonly Used Medical Acronym
This page presents a table of frequently encountered medical acronyms, accompanied by clear and informative definitions.
Medical Acronyms
| Acronym | Definition |
|---|---|
| General Medical Acronyms | |
| ACL | Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury |
| ADHD | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder |
| ADR | Adverse Drug Reaction |
| ALS | Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) |
| ASD | Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| BCS | Breast Cancer Staging System |
| BPH | Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia |
| CA | Cancer |
| CAD | Coronary Artery Disease |
| CBC | Complete Blood Count |
| CEVD | Cerebrovascular Disease |
| CHF | Congestive Heart Failure |
| CKD | Chronic Kidney Disease |
| CMV | Cytomegalovirus |
| COPD | Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease |
| DKA | Diabetic Ketoacidosis |
| DM | Diabetes Mellitus |
| DVT | Deep Vein Thrombosis |
| EKG/ECG | Electrocardiogram (measures electrical activity of the heart) |
| EMG | Electromyography (measures electrical activity of muscles) |
| ETD | Eustachian Tube Dysfunction |
| FA | Fibromyalgia |
| GBS | Guillain-Barré Syndrome |
| GERD | Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease |
| HAART | Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HIV treatment) |
| HEP A/B/C | Hepatitis A, B, or C (liver infections) |
| Hgb | Hemoglobin (oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells) |
| HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus |
| HPV | Human Papillomavirus |
| HTN | Hypertension |
| IBD | Inflammatory Bowel Disease |
| ICH | Intracerebral Hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) |
| ICU | Intensive Care Unit |
| IH | Idiopathic Hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) |
| IBS | Irritable Bowel Syndrome |
| LYME | Lyme Disease (bacterial infection) |
| MI | Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) |
| MG | Myasthenia Gravis (neuromuscular disease) |
| MS | Multiple Sclerosis |
| OCD | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder |
| OSA | Obstructive Sleep Apnea |
| PD | Parkinson's Disease |
| PE | Pulmonary Embolism |
| PTSD | Post-traumatic Stress Disorder |
| RA | Rheumatoid Arthritis |
| SLE | Systemic Lupus Erythematosus |
| TBI | Traumatic Brain Injury |
| TIA | Transient Ischemic Attack (Mini-stroke) |
| Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests | |
| ABG | Arterial Blood Gas |
| AFP | Alpha-Fetoprotein |
| A1C | Hemoglobin A1C (glycated hemoglobin test) |
| ANA | Antinuclear Antibody |
| BMP | Basic Metabolic Panel |
| BUN | Blood Urea Nitrogen |
| CEA | Carcinoembryonic Antigen |
| CK | Creatine Kinase |
| CMP | Comprehensive Metabolic Panel |
| CRP | C-Reactive Protein |
| CT | Computed Tomography Scan |
| EKG/ECG | Electrocardiogram |
| EEG | Electroencephalogram |
| ESR | Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate |
| FBS | Fasting Blood Sugar |
| FSH | Follicle-Stimulating Hormone |
| GFR | Glomerular Filtration Rate |
| HCV | Hepatitis C Virus Test |
| Hgb | Hemoglobin |
| HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus Test |
| HCT | Hematocrit |
| INR | International Normalized Ratio |
| LH | Luteinizing Hormone |
| LP | Lumbar Puncture |
| LFT | Liver Function Test |
| MSU | Midstream Urine Sample |
| MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| OGTT | Oral Glucose Tolerance Test |
| PFT | Pulmonary Function Test |
| PET | Positron Emission Tomography |
| PTH | Parathyroid Hormone |
| PSA | Prostate-Specific Antigen |
| PT | Prothrombin Time |
| RBC | Red Blood Cell |
| RF | Rheumatoid Factor |
| T3 | Triiodothyronine |
| T4 | Thyroxine |
| TIBC | Total Iron-Binding Capacity |
| TSH | Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone |
| U/A | Urinalysis |
| US/Ultrasound | Ultrasonography |
| Vit B12 | Vitamin B12 |
| Vit D | Vitamin D |
| WBC | White Blood Cell |
| X-ray | Radiograph |
| Medical Specialties | |
| ENT | Ear, Nose, and Throat |
| GYN | Gynecology |
| OB | Obstetrics |
| PEDS | Pediatrics |
| PSYCH | Psychiatry |
| CARDIO | Cardiology (Heart) |
| DERM | Dermatology (Skin) |
| GI | Gastrointestinal (Digestive System) |
| ID | Infectious Disease |
| NEURO | Neurology (Nervous System) |
| ONC | Oncology (Cancer) |
| Ortho | Orthopedics (Musculoskeletal System) |
| PATH | Pathology (Laboratory Analysis) |
| PULM | Pulmonary (Lungs) |
| RHEUM | Rheumatology (Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases) |
| URO | Urology (Urinary Tract and Male Reproductive System) |
| Procedures | |
| AVR | Aortic Valve Replacement |
| BMT | Bone Marrow Transplantation |
| CABG | Coronary Artery Bypass Graft |
| CPR | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation |
| CRT | Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy |
| CVC | Central Venous Catheterization |
| EKG/ECG | Electrocardiogram |
| EMG | Electromyography |
| ERCP | Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography |
| EUS | Endoscopic Ultrasound |
| FESS | Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery |
| FNA | Fine Needle Aspiration |
| ICD | Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator |
| IVF | In Vitro Fertilization |
| LASIK | Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis |
| LEEP | Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure |
| LLETZ | Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone |
| MRI | Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| PCI | Percutaneous Coronary Intervention |
| PET | Positron Emission Tomography |
| RFA | Radiofrequency Ablation |
| TAVR | Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement |
| TURBT | Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor |
| TURP | Transurethral Resection of the Prostate |
| VATS | Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery |
| Medications | |
| ACE | Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE inhibitor) |
| AED | Antiepileptic Drug |
| ARB | Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker |
| BB | Beta-Blocker |
| BZD/BZ | Benzodiazepine |
| CCB | Calcium Channel Blocker |
| CS | Corticosteroid |
| DMARD | Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug |
| H2RA | Histamine-2 Receptor Antagonist |
| HRT | Hormone Replacement Therapy |
| MAOI | Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor |
| MDI | Metered-Dose Inhaler |
| NSAID | Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug |
| NRT | Nicotine Replacement Therapy |
| OCP | Oral Contraceptive Pill |
| PPI | Proton Pump Inhibitor |
| SABA | Short-Acting Beta Agonist |
| SGLT2 | Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 |
| SNRI | Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor |
| SSRI | Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor |
| SU | Sulfonylurea (antidiabetic drug) |
| TCA | Tricyclic Antidepressant |
| TZD | Thiazolidinedione (antidiabetic drug) |
| Dosage and Frequency | |
| BID | Bis in Die (Twice a Day) |
| PO | Per Os (By Mouth) |
| QID | Quater in Die (Four Times a Day) |
| TID | Ter in Die (Three Times a Day) |
| PRN | Pro Re Nata (As Needed) |
| OD | Once Daily |
| Medication Forms | |
| Cap | Capsule |
| Tab | Tablet |
| Liq | Liquid |
| Soln | Solution |
| Inh | Inhaler |
| Syr | Syrup |
| Susp | Suspension |
| SL | Sublingual (dissolved under the tongue) |
| Top | Topical (applied to the skin) |
| General Medication Terms | |
| OTC | Over-the-Counter (available without a prescription) |
| Rx | Recipe (prescription for medication) |
| Administrative and Miscellaneous | |
| ADL | Activities of Daily Living |
| CPR | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation |
| DOB | Date of Birth |
| DNR | Do Not Resuscitate |
| H&P | History and Physical |
| PRN | As Needed (from Latin "pro re nata") |
| SOAP | Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan (method of documentation) |
