Abbreviations – Complementary Information

Abbreviations

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Abbreviation	Definition
A1C	hemoglobin A1C
ABG	arterial blood gas
ACE	angiotensin-converting enzyme
ACS	acute coronary syndrome
ACTH	adrenocorticotropic hormone
ADA	American Dental Association
AED	automated external defibrillator
AF	atrial fibrillation
Afib	atrial fibrillation
AIDS	acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AHA	American Heart Association
ALT	alanine transaminase
AMI	acute myocardial infarction
ANBT	antibiotics
aPTT	activated partial thromboplastin time
ARB	angiotension receptor blocker
ARONJ	antiresorptive agent-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw
ASA	acetylsalicylic acid; aspirin
ASCVD	atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
AST	aspartate transaminase
AT	atrial tachycardia
AV	atrioventricular
AVNA	atrioventricular nodal ablation

B

Abbreviation	Definition
BCG	bacille Calmette-Guerin
BCP	birth control pills
BD	bipolar disorder
BE	bacterial endocarditis
BID	two times daily
BMI	body mass index
BMR	basal metabolic rate
BMT	bone marrow transplant
BP	blood pressure
bpm	beat per minute
BRONJ	bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws
BSA	body surface area
BT	bleeding time
BUN	blood urea nitrogen

C

Abbreviation	Definition
C	Celcius
Ca	calcium; or cancer
CABG	coronary artery bypass graft
CAD	coronary artery disease
cAMP	cyclic adenosine monophosphate
CBC	complete blood cell count
CDC	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
cGy	centiGray
CHF	congestive heart failure
CHD	coronary heart disease
CK	creatine kinase
CKD	chronic kidney disease
Cl	chloride; chlorine
CLL	chronic lymphocytic leukemia
cm	centimeter
CML	chronic myelogenous leukemia
CMR	cardiac magnetic resonance
CNS	central nervous system
CO₂	carbon dioxide
COMT	catechol-o-methyl transferase
COPD	chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
CrCL	creatinine clearance
CTCA	computed tomographic coronary angiography
cTn	cardiac troponin
cTnI	cardiac troponin I
cTnT	cardiac troponin T
CT	computed tomography
COVID-19	coronavirus disease 19
COX-2	cyclooxygenase-2
CPK	creatine phosphokinase
CPR	cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cr	creatine
CSF	cerebrospinal fluid
CVA	cerebrovascular accident
CVD	cardiovascular disease
CT	computerized tomography
CXR	chest x-ray

D

Abbreviation	Definition
D & C	dilation and curettage
DBP	diastolic blood pressure
D/D	differential diagnosis
DDAVP	desmopressin acetate
dL	deciliter (= 100 mL)
DM	diabetes mellitus
DMARD	disease-modifying antirheumatic drug
DNA	deoxyribonucleic acid
DOAC	direct-acting orl anticoagulant
DTP	diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (toxoids/vaccine)
D/W or D	dextrose in water
Dx	diagnosis

E

Abbreviation	Definition
ECF	extracellular fluid
ECG	electrocardiogram
ECT	electroconvulsive therapy
EEG	electroencephalogram
EF	ejection fraction
eGFR	estimated glomerular filtration rate
ELISA	enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
ENT	ear, nose, and throat
ERCP	endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
ESR	erythrocyte sedimentation rate
ESRD	end-stage renal disease

F

Abbreviation	Definition
F	Fahrenheit
FDA	U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FEV1	forced expiratory volume in 1 second
FFP	fresh frozen plasma
FVIII	coagulation factor VIII
FIX	coagulation factor IX
FPG	fasting plasma glucose ft – foot; feet (measure)
FUO	fever of unknown origin

G

Abbreviation	Definition
G	gram
GCS	glucocorticosteroids
GFR	glomerular filtration rate
GI	gastrointestinal
G6PD	glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
GU	genitourinary
GVHD	graft versus host disease
Gy	gray

H

Abbreviation	Definition
h	hour
HAART	highly active antiretroviral therapy
HAV	hepatitis A virus
Hb	hemoglobin
HbA1c	hemoglobin A1c
Hg	mercury
HgbA1c	hemoglobin A1c or glycolated hemoglobin
HBeAg	hepatitis B e antigen
HBsAg	hepatitis B surface antigen
HBV	hepatitis B virus
HCI	hydrochloric acid; hydrochloride
Hct	hematocrit
HCO₃	bicarbonate
HCV	hepatitis C virus
HDL-C	high density lipoprotein cholesterol
HDV	hepatitis D virus
HEV	hepatitis E virus
HF	heart failure
HFpEF	heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
HFrEF	heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
Hg	mercury
HIV	human immunodeficiency virus
HLA	human leukocyte antigen
HMG-CoA	hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A
HPV	human papilloma virus
HRT	hormone replacement therapy
hs	before bedtime
HSCT	hematopoietic stem cell transplant
hs-cTn	high-sensitivity cardiac troponin
HSV	herpes simplex virus
HTN	hypertension
h/o	history of
Hx	history
Hz	hertz (cycles/sec)

I

Abbreviation	Definition
IBD	inflammatory bowel disease
I & D	incision and drainage
ICD	implanted cardioverter defibrillator
ICF	intracellular fluid
ICH	intracranial hemorrhage
ICU	intensive care unit
IDU	injecting drug use(r)
IE	infective endocarditis
IgA, etc	immunoglobin A, etc
IL	interleukin
IM	intramuscular
INR	international normalized ratio
ITP	immune thrombocytopenic purpura
IU	international unit IV – intravenous
IVDU	intravenous drug use(r)

J

Abbreviation	Definition
JVD	jugular vein distention

K

Abbreviation	Definition
K	potassium
kcal	kilocalorie (food calorie)
kg	kilogram

L

Abbreviation	Definition
L	liter
LA	left atrium
LAD	left anterior descending artery
lb	pound
LBBB	left bundle branch block
LDH	lactate dehydrogenase
LDLC	low density lipoprotein cholesterol
LV	left ventricular
LVEF	left ventricular ejection fraction
LVH	left ventricular hypertrophy
LFT	liver function test
LMWH	low molecular weight heparin

M

Abbreviation	Definition
M	molar
m	meter
MAOI	monoamine oxidase inhibitor
MCH	mean corpuscular hemoglobin
MCHC	mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
MCP	metacarpophalangeal (joint)
MCV	mean corpuscular volume
MCS	medical complexity status
MDD	major depressive disorder
MDRTB	multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
MG	myasthenia gravis
mg	milligram
MHx	medical history
MI	myocardial infarction
MIC	minimum inhibitory concentration
mIU	milli-international unit
mL	milliliter
mm	millimeter
mmol	millimole
mo	month
mol wt	molecular weight
mOsm	milliosmole
mµ	millimicron (= nanometer)
MRI	magnetic resonance imaging
MTP	metatarsophalangeal (joint)
MVP	mitral valve prolapse

N

Abbreviation	Definition
N	nitrogen; normal (strength of solution)
Na	sodium
NaCI	sodium chloride
ng	nanogram (= millimicrogram)
NHL	non-Hodgkin lymphoma
NKDA	no known drug allergies
nm	nanometer (= millimicron)
nmol	nanomole
npo	nothing by mouth
NSAID	nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
NSTEMI	non-ST-elevated myocardial infarction

O

Abbreviation	Definition
O₂	oxygen
OA	osteoarthritis
OSA	obstructive sleep apnea
OTC	over-the-counter (pharmaceuticals)
oz	ounce

P

Abbreviation	Definition
P	Phosphorus, pressure
PAC	premature atrial contraction
PaCO₂	arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure
PAD	peripheral artery disease
PAO₂	alveolar oxygen partial pressure
PaO₂	arterial oxygen partial pressure
PAS	periodic acid-Schiff
pc	after food
PCI	percutaneous coronary intervention
PCO₂	carbon dioxide partial pressure (or tension)
PCP	Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; or primary care physician
PCR	polymerase chain reaction
PE	pulmonary embolism
PEF	peak expiratory flow
PET	positron emission tomography
pg	picogram (= micromicrogram)
pH	hydrogen ion concentration
PH	pulmonary hypertension
PIP	proximal interphalangeal (joint)
Plt	platelet count
PMN	polymorphonuclear cell
PND	paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
po	by mouth
PO₂	oxygen partial pressure (or tension)
PPD	purified protein derivative
ppm	pert per million
PRN	when necessary
pt	patient
PT	prothrombin time
PUD	peptic ulcer disease

Q

Abbreviation	Definition
q	every
qAM	every morning
qd	every day
qh	every hour
qhs	every bedtime
qid	four times daily
qod	every other day

R

Abbreviation	Definition
RA	rheumatoid arthritis
RAAS	renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
RBBB	right bundle branch block
RBC	red blood cell count
Rct	reticulocyte count
RF	rheumatic fever
RHD	rheumatic heart disease
RIND	reversible ischemic neurologic deficit
RNA	ribonucleic acid
ROS	review of systems

S

Abbreviation	Definition
S1-S4	heart sounds
SARS-CoV-2	severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
SaO₂	arterial oxygen saturation
SBP	systolic blood pressure
SC	subcutaneous
SCD	sudden cardiac death
SI	International System of Units
SIDS	sudden infant death syndrome
SLE	systemic lupus erythematosus
SOB	shortness of breath
soln	solution
sp	species (singular) s/p – status post; after
spp	species (plural) SSRI – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
STD	sexually transmitted disease
STEMI	ST-elevated myocardial infarction
STS	serologic test for syphilis
SVT	supraventricular tachycardia
Sx	syndrome

T

Abbreviation	Definition
TB	tuberculosis
T/C	to consider
TIA	transient ischemic attack
tid	three times daily
tiw	three times weekly
TLC	therapeutic lifestyle change
TNF	tumor necrosis factor
TSH	thyroid-stimulating hormone

U

Abbreviation	Definition
µ	micro-; micron
UA	unstable angina; or urine analysis
UFH	unfractionated heparin
µg	microgram
µL	microliter
µm	micrometer
µmol	micromole
URI	upper respiratory infection
UTI	urinary tract infection

V

Abbreviation	Definition
VF	ventricular fibrillation
VHD	valvular heart disease
VTE	venous thromboembolism
vWD	von Willebrand’s disease

W

Abbreviation	Definition
WBC	white blood cell count
VHD	valvular heart disease
VKA	vitamin K antagonist
WHO	World Health Organization
WPW	Wolf-Parkinson-White
wt	weight

X

Abbreviation	Definition
XRT	radiation therapy

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