Clinical Acronyms

A&Ox3 Alert and oriented times 3 (oriented to person, place, and time)
AAA Abdominal aortic aneurysm
AAS Acute abdominal series
ABD Abdomen
ABG Arterial blood gas
ABI Ankle / brachial index (blood pressures)
AC Before eating ("ante cibum")
ACLS Advanced cardiac life support
AKA Above the knee amputation
AOB Alcohol on breath
ARDS Adult respiratory distress syndrome
ARF Acute renal failure
ASA Aspirin
ASD Atrial septal defect
ATN Acute tubular necrosis
AV Atrioventricular node

B Bilateral
BCP Birth control pill
BE Barium enema
BID Twice a day ("bis in die")
BKA Below the knee amputation
BMI Body mass index
BMP Basic metabolic profile (lytes, BUN, creatinine, glucose)
BMR Basal metabolic rate
BP Blood pressure
BPH Benign prostatic hypertrophy
BRBPR Bright red blood per rectum
BS Bowel sounds
BSO Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy
BUN Blood urea nitrogen
Bx Biopsy

C With ("cum")
C/O Complains of
CA Cancer
CABG Coronary artery bypass graft (bypass)
CAT Computerized axial tomography
CBC Complete blood count
CC Chief complaint
C/D/I Clean, dry, and intact (typically referring to wound dressings)
CF Cystic fibrosis
CHF Congestive heart failure
CL Contralateral
CN Cranial nerve
CN II-XII Cranial nerves two through twelve
CNS Central nervous system
COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
CP Chest pain
CPAP Continuous positive airway pressure
CPR Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
CSF Cerebrospinal fluid
CSF Colony stimulating factor
CT Cardiothoracic
CT Computerized (axial) tomography
CTA-B Clear to auscultation bilaterally
CVA Cerebral vascular accident (stroke)
CVA Costovertebral angle (kidneys)
CVP Central venous pressure
CVPH Champlain Valley Physician's Hospital
CXR Chest x-ray

DAI Diffuse axonal injury

D/C Discharge
D/C Discontinue
DDx Differential diagnosis
DI Diabetes insipidus
DIP Distal interphalangeal joint
DJD Degenerative joint disease
DKA Diabetic ketoacidosis
DM I Type I DM
DM II Type II DM
DM Diabetes mellitus
DNR Do not resuscitate
DOA Dead on arrival
DP/PT Dorsalis pedis / Posterior tibial (pulses)
DTR Deep tendon reflex
DVT Deep venous thrombosis

EBL Estimated blood loss

ECG Electrocardiogram
ECT Electroconvulsive therapy
EEG Electroencephalogram
EF Ejection fraction
EKG Electrocardiogram
EMD Electromechanical disassociation
EMG Electromyelogram
ENT Ear, nose, & throat
EOMI Extra-ocular muscles (or movements) intact
EPO Erythropoietin
ERCP Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (biliary/pancreatic scope)
ERT Estrogen replacement therapy
ET Endotracheal
EtOH Alcohol (Ethyl alcohol)

F/U Follow-up
FAM Family (Fam Hx = Family History)
FEN Fluids, electrolytes, nutrition
FNA Fine needle aspirate
FPP Fresh frozen plasma
FS Finger stick (blood sugar)
FUKO Fever of unknown origin
FUO Fever of unknown origin
Fx Family
Fx Fracture

G Gravida (pregnancies)
GAMAL Good air movement all lobes
GC Gonococcus (gonorrhea)
GCS Glasgow coma scale
GERD Gastroesophageal reflux disease
GI Gastrointestinal
GTT IV drip ("guttae" = drops)
GTT # of drops (6 gtt/min = 6 drops per minute)
GU Genitourinary

H&P History & physical

HA Headache
HCT Hematocrit
HCTZ Hydrochlorothiazide
HEENT Head, eyes, ears, nose, & throat
HGB Hemoglobin
HJR Hepatojugular reflex
HO House officer (resident)
HPI History of present illness
HR Heart rate
HRT Hormone replacement therapy
HSM Hepatosplenomegaly
HTN Hypertension
Hx History

I/O Ins & Outs (fluids in & fluids out)

IBD Inflammatory bowel disease
ICU Intensive care unit
IDDM Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
IL Ipsilateral
IM Intramuscular
IT Intrathecal
IV Intravenous
IVC Inferior vena cava
IVC Intravenous cholangiogram (biliary)
IVP Intravenous pyelogram (renal)

JVD Jugular venous distention

JVP Jugular venous pressure

KUB Kidneys, ureters, bladder (abd / pelvic x-ray)

L Left
LA Left atrium
LAH Left anterior hemiblock
LBBB Left bundle branch block
LE Lower extremity
LLL Left lower lobe (lung)
LLQ Left lower quadrant
LLSB Left lower sternal border
LMP Last Menstrual Period
LOC Level of consciousness
LOC Loss of consciousness
LP Lumbar puncture
LR Lactated Ringer's
LSB Left sternal border
LUL Left upper lobe (lung)
LUQ Left upper quadrant
LUSB Left upper sternal border
LV Left ventricle
LVH Left ventricular hypertrophy

M/G/R Murmurs, gallops or rubs (cardiac exam)

MAE Moves all extremities
MAP Mean arterial pressure
MCV Mean corpuscular (cell) volume
MEN Multiple endocrine neoplasia
MI Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
MICU Medical intensive care unit
MMSE Mini mental status exam
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging
MRSA Methicillin resistant staph aureus
MS Mitral stenosis
MS Multiple sclerosis
MVA Motor vehicle accident

N/V Nausea or vomiting

NABS Normoactive bowel sounds
NAD No apparent (acute) distress
NCAT Normocephalic, atraumatic (head exam)
NG Nasogastric (as in "NG Tube")
NIDDM Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
NKDA No known drug allergies
NPO Nothing by mouth ("per os")
NS Normal saline (as in "1/2NS")
NSAID Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
NSR Normal sinus rhythm
NT Nasotracheal (as in "NT tube")
NTG Nitroglycerin

OD Right eye ("oculus dexter")

OM Otitis media
OOB Out of bed
OS Left eye ("oculus sinister")
OU Both eyes ("oculus uterque")

P After ("post")
P Pending
PAT Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia
PAWP Pulmonary artery wedge pressure
PC After eating ("post cibum")
PCR Polymerase chain reaction
PCWP Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
PE Pulmonary embolism
PE Physical exam
PEA Pulseless electrical activity
PEEP Positive end expiratory pressure
PERRLA Pupils equal, round & reactive to light and accomodation
PET Positron emission tomography
PFT Pulmonary function test
PICC Peripherally inserted central catheter
PICU Pediatric intensive care unit
PID Pelvic inflammatory disease
PIP Proximal interphalangeal joint
PMH Past medical history
PMI Point of maximal impulse (of the heart)
PNS Peripheral nervous system
PO By mouth ("per os")
POD Post-op day
PR Per rectum
PRBC Packed red blood cells
PRN As needed ("pro re nata")
PSH Past surgical history
PSVT Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
Pt Patient
PT Physical therapy
PT Posterior tibial (artery/pulse)
PT Prothrombin time
PTA Prior to admission/arrival
PTT Partial thromboplastin time
PVC Premature ventricular contraction
PVD Peripheral vascular disease

Q Every ("quaque")
QAC Before every meal ("ante cibum")
QAM Every morning
QD Every day ("die")
QHS At hour of sleep ("hora somni")
QID Four times a day ("quarter in die")
QOD Every other day

R Right
RA Right atrium
RBBB Right bundle branch block
RBC Red blood cell
RDW Red (cell) distribution width
RLL Right lower lobe (lung)
RML Right middle lobe (lung)
ROM Range of motion
ROS Review of systems
RRR Regular rate & rhythm
RSB Right sternal border
RUL Right upper lobe (lung)
RV Right ventricle
RVH Right ventricular hypertrophy
Rx Prescription, treatment

S Without ("sans")
S/P Status post
SA Sinoatrial node
SIADH Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone
SICU Surgical intensive care unit
SL Sublingual
SOB Short of breath
SOB Shortness of breath
SQ Subcutaneous
STD Sexually transmitted disease
SVC Superior vena cava
SVD Spontaneous vaginal delivery
SVP Spontaneous venous pulsations - seen in normal retina
Sx Symptoms

TAH Trans-abdominal hysterectomy

TEE Transesophageal echocardiogram
TIA Transient ischemic attack ("mini-stroke")
TID Three times a day ("ter in die")
Tmax Maximum temperature over past 24 hours
TO Telephone order
TPA Tissue plasminogen activator
TPN Total parenteral nutrition
TURP Trans urethral resection of prostate
TVH Trans-vaginal hysterectomy
Tx Treatment

U/A Urinalysis
UE Upper extremity
URI Upper respiratory infection
UTI Urinary tract infection
U/S Ultrasound

VCUG Voiding cystourethrogram

V/Q Ventilation / Perfusion scan

W/D Wet-to-dry (dressing)

W/R/R Wheezes, rubs, or rhonchi
WB Whole blood
WBC White blood cell (count)
WF White female
WM White male

XRT X-ray therapy (radiation)

YO Year-old

ZE Zollinger-Ellison