Term | Definition |
A&E | Accident and emergency |
A&W | Alive and well |
ab | Abortion |
ABC | Aspiration, biopsy, cytology |
ADD | Attention defecit disorder |
ADH | Antiduretic hormone |
AET/aet | Aged |
AGM | Acute glomerulonephritis |
AI | Artificial insemination |
AID | Artificial insemination by donor |
AIH | Artificail insemination by husband |
AIDS | Acquired immunodeficiancy syndrome |
ALL | Acute lymphocytic leukaemia |
AML | Acute myeloid leukaemia |
AN | Antinatal |
ANS | Autonomic nervous system |
APH | Antepartum haemorrhage |
ARM | Artificial rupture of membranes |
ASD | Asperger's syndrome disorder |
ASHD | Arteriosclerotic heart disease |
Ast | Astigmatism |
AU | Both ears of each ear |
BaE | Barium enema |
BaM | Barium meal |
BBA | Born before arrival |
BCG | Bacillus Camille-Gue'rin-vaccine against tuberculosis |
BI | Bone injury |
BID | Brought in dead |
BM | Bowel movement |
BO | Bowels open |
BP | Bipolor disease of blood pressure |
BS | Breath sounds |
BS | Blood sugar |
BSE | Bovine spongiform encephalopathy ('mad cow'disease) |
BSO | Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (surgical removal fallopian tubes and ovearies) |
BUN | Blood urea nitrogen |
BW | Birth weight |
Bx | Biopsy |
C&S | Culture and sensitivity |
C/O | Complains of |
C1, C2, etc | Cervical vertabrae |
Ca | Carcinoma/calcium |
CABG | Coronary arterial bypass surgery |
CAD | Coronary artery disease |
CAT (CT) | Scan-computerised X-rays of layers of tissues (computerised axial tomography) |
CCF | Congestive cardiac failure |
CCU | Coronary care unit |
CD | Controlled drugs |
CHD | Coronary heart disease |
CHF | Coronary heart failure |
CJD | Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease |
CNS | Central nervous system |
C' | Celsius |
COAD | Chronic obstructive airway disease |
COC | Combined oral contraceptive pill |
CPK | Creatine phospokinase (cardiac enzyme) |
CPR | Cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
CSF | Cerbrospinal fluid |
CSU | Catheter specimen of urine |
CVA | Cerebrovascular accident (stroke) |
Cx | Cervix (neck of womb) |
D&C | Dilitation and curettage |
D&V | Diarrhoea and vomiting |
Dec | Deceased |
DNA | Did not attend |
DNR | Do not resusitate |
DOA | Dead on arrival |
DOB/dob | Date of birth |
DVT | Deep vein thrombosis |
Dx | Diagnosis |
Dxr | Deep X-ray |
ECG | Electrocardiogram |
ECT | Electroconvulsive therapy |
EDC | Expected date of confinement |
EDD | Expected date of delivery |
EEG | Electromyogram |
EMU | Early morning urine |
ENT | Ear nose throat |
ESR | Erythrocyte sedimentation rate |
EUA | Examination under anaesthetic |
FB | Foreign body |
FBC | Full blood count |
FBS | Fasting blood sugar |
Fe | Iron |
FH | Fetal heart |
FSH | Follicle stimulating hormone |
GA | General anaesthetic |
GAD | General anxiety disorder |
GH | Growth hormone |
GI | Gastrointestinal |
GORD | Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease |
GTT | Glucose tolerance test |
H/O | History of |
HAI | Hospital acquired infection |
Hb | Haemoglobin (pigmented protein which carries oxygen) |
HbA1 or HBA1 | Blood test for diabetes |
HPV | Human papilloma virus |
HRT | Hormone replacement therapy |
HSV | Herpes simplex virus |
Hx | History |
ICU | Intensive care unit |
IDDM | Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus |
Ig | Immunoglobulin |
IM | Intra muscular |
IOP | Intraocular pressure |
IP | Inpatient |
IU | International unit |
IUD | Intra-uterine device |
IV/i.v. | Intravenous |
LA | Local anaesthetic |
LH | Lutenising hormone |
LIF | Left iliac fossa |
LIH | Left inguinal hernia |
LMP | Last menstrualperiod |
LP | Lumbar puncture |
LRTI | Lower respiratory tract infection |
LTH | Luteotropic hormone (prolactin) |
LV | Left ventricle |
MCH | Mean corpuscular haemoglobin |
MND | Motor neurone disease |
MRI | Magnetic resonance imaging |
MRSA | Multiple-/methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus |
MS | Multiple sclerosis |
MSU | Mistream specimen of urine |
N&V | Nausea and vomiting |
NAD | No abnormality detected |
NSAID | Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug |