Medical Terminology Abbreviations

MS

can mean either morphine sulfate or magnesium sulfate

QD and QOD

mean daily and every other day, respectively; sometimes mistaken for each other

U

means unit, sometimes mistaken for 0 or 4

A & P

anatomy and physiology

DNA

deoxyribonucleic acid

GP

general practitioner

HD

Huntington’s disease

LLQ

left lower quadrant

LUQ

left upper quadrant

PA

physician assistant

RLQ

right lower quadrant

RUQ

right upper quadrant

BDT

bone density testing

OA

osteoarthritis

OP

osteoporosis

PKR

partial knee replacement

PMR

polymyalgia rheumatica

RA

rheumatoid arthritis

THR

total hip replacement

TKR

total knee replacement

ADL

activities of daily living

CTS

carpal tunnel syndrome

CFS

chronic fatigue syndrome

EMG

electromyography

IC

intermittent claudication

MD

muscular dystrophy

MG

myasthenia gravis

OT

occupational therapy, occupational therapist

PM

polymyositis

RSD

repetitive stress disorder

ROM

range-of-motion testing

A-fib

atrial fibrillation

AED

automated external defibrillator

ICD

implantable cardioverter–defibrillator

card cath, CC

cardiac catheterization

CVI

chronic venous insufficiency

CABG

coronary artery bypass graft

CAD

coronary artery disease

EKG, ECG

electrocardiogram

HTN

hypertension

MI

myocardial infarction

PAD

peripheral artery disease

PVD

peripheral vascular disease

TST

thallium stress test

tPA

tissue plasminogen activator (use with caution to avoid confusion with other drug abbreviations)

V-fib

ventricular fibrillation