medical term abbreviations.pdf

MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY ABBREVIATIONS The following list contains some of the most common abbreviations found in medical records. Please note that in medical terminology, the capitalization of letters bears significance as to the meaning of certain terms, and is often used to distinguish terms with similar acronyms. @—at A P—anatomy and physiology ab—abortion abd—abdominal ABG—arterial blood gas a.c.—before meals ac cl—acetest and clinitest ACLS—advanced cardiac life support AD—right ear ADL—activities of daily living ad lib—as desired adm—admission afeb—afebrile, no fever AFB—acid-fast bacillus AKA—above the knee alb—albumin alt dieb—alternate days (every other day) am—morning AMA—against medical advice amal—amalgam amb—ambulate, walk AMI—acute myocardial infarction amt—amount ANS—automatic nervous system ant—anterior AOx3—alert and oriented to person, time, and place Ap—apical AP—apical pulse approx—approximately aq—aqueous ARDS—acute respiratory distress syndrome AS—left ear ASA—aspirin asap (ASAP)—as soon as possible as tol—as tolerated ATD—admission, transfer, discharge AU—both ears Ax—axillary BE—barium enema bid—twice a day bil, bilateral—both sides BK—below knee BKA—below the knee amputation bl—blood bl wk—blood work BLS—basic life support BM—bowel movement BOW—bag of waters B/P—blood pressure bpm—beats per minute BR—bed rest BRP—bathroom privileges BS—breath sounds BSI—body substance isolation BSO—bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy BUN—blood, urea, nitrogen levels BVM—bag-valve-mask bx—biopsy c—with C S—culture and sensitivity c-spine—cervical spine CA—cancer CAD—coronary artery disease cal—calorie CAT—computerized axial tomography cath—catheter CBC—complete blood count cc—cubic centimeters CC—chief complaint CCU—coronary care unit, critical care unit CHD—coronary heart disease CHF—congestive heart failure CHO—carbohydrate chol—cholesterol circ—circumcision cl liq—clear liquid CNS—central ne