If you see an abbreviation you do not understand, you may be able to find out what it means here.
Important
Medical staff sometimes use the same abbreviation to mean different things. If you find an abbreviation confusing, contact your healthcare provider.
A
| # | 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 |
| ASQ | ages and stages questionnaire |
B
| 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 |
C
| 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 |
| CVP | central venous pressure |
| CXR | chest X-ray |
D
| DNACPR | do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
| DNAR | do not attempt resuscitation |
| DNR | do not resuscitate |
| Dr | doctor |
| DVT | deep vein thrombosis |
| Dx | diagnosis |
E
| ECG | electrocardiogram |
| ED | emergency department |
| EEG | electroencephalogram |
| EMU | early morning urine sample |
| ESR | erythrocyte sedimentation rate |
| EUA | examination under anaesthetic |
F
| FBC | full blood count |
| FY1 FY2 | foundation doctor |
G
| GA | general anaesthetic |
| gtt., gtt | drop(s) |
H
| h., h | hour |
| h/o | history of |
| Hb | haemoglobin |
| HCA | healthcare assistant |
| HCSW | healthcare support worker |
| HDL | high-density lipoprotein |
| HRT | hormone replacement therapy |
| Ht | height |
| Hx | history |
I (i)
| 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 |
| IVI | intravenous infusion |
| IVP | intravenous pyelogram |
| Ix | investigations |
L
| LA | local anaesthetic |
| LDL | low-density lipoprotein |
| LFT | liver function test |
| LMP | last menstrual period |
M
| M/R | modified release |
| MRI | magnetic resonance imaging |
| MRSA | methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus |
| MSU | mid-stream urine sample |
N
| 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 |
| nocte | every night |
| NoF | neck of femur |
| NSAID | non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug |
O
| o.d., od, OD | once a day |
| o/e | on examination |
| OT | occupational therapist |
P
| p.c. | after food |
| p.m., pm, PM | afternoon or evening |
| p.o., po, PO | orally / by mouth / oral administration |
| p.r., pr, PR | rectally |
| p.r.n., prn, PRN | as needed (also pertactin, a key antigen of ac. pertussis vaccine) |
| p/c | presenting complaint |
| physio | physiotherapist |
| POP | plaster of paris |
| PTT | partial thromboplastin time |
| PU | passed urine |
Q
| 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) |
R
| RN | registered nurse |
| RNLD | learning disability nurse |
| ROSC | return of spontaneous circulation |
| RTA | road traffic accident |
| Rx | treatment |
S
| 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-elevation myocardial infarction |
T
| 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
| U&E | urea and electrolytes |
| u.d., ud | as directed |
| UTI | urinary tract infection |
V
| VLDL | very-low density lipoprotein |
| VTE | venous thromboembolism |
W
| wt | weight |
Contact your GP practice or pharmacy.