Must Know Medical Terms and Abbreviations for FHS

ECG/EKG

electrocardiogram

D/C

discontinue/discharge

Rx

prescription

Stat

immediately

prn

as needed, when necessary

npo

nothing by mouth

VS

vital signs

po

by mouth

bid

twice a day

q2h

every two hours

EEG

electroencephalogram

DNR

do not resuscitate

ENT

ear, nose, and throat

LLQ

left lower quadrant

LUQ

left upper quadrant

OD

right eye

OS

left eye

OU

both eyes

RBC

red blood cell

RLQ

right lower quadrant

RUQ

right upper quadrant

WBC

white blood cell

CAD

coronary artery disease

COPD

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

DM

diabetes mellitus

Dx

diagnosis

HIV

human immunodeficiency virus

Hx

history

MI

myocardial infarction

s/s

signs and symptoms

SOB

shortness of breath

Sx

symptoms

TB

tuberculosis

TIA

transient ischemic attack

Tx

treatment

URI

upper respiratory infection

UTI

urinary tract infection

BP

blood pressure

CPR

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

HR

heart rate

IV

intravenous

ROM

range of motion

T

temperature

Wt

weight

AC

before meals

ad lib

as desired

hs

bedtime

OTC

over the counter

pc

after meals

q

every

qh

every hour

q4h

every 4 hours

qd

every day

qid

four times a day

a- or an-

not, without

brady

slow

hyper

above

hypo

below

mono

one

peri

around

poly

many

sub

below

supra

above

tachy

fast

ab

away from, off

ad

toward, to

con

with, together

dys

difficult, painful

epi

above, upon

neo

new

sym- or syn

together, with

trans

across

quadri

four

inter

between

intra

within, inside

macro

large, long

mal

bad, abnormal

micro

small

post

after, behind

retro

backward, behind

anti

against

auto

self

bio

living, related to life

endo

within

extra

outside

hemi

half

para

beside, near

arteri/o

artery

brachi, brachio

arm

bronch, bronchi/o

bronchial tube

cardio

heart

cost/o

rib

erythr/o

red

gloss/o

tongue

hem/o, hemat/o

blood

laryngo

larynx

leuk/o

white

or/o

mouth

phleb/o

vein

pneum/o

lung, air