Medical Abbreviations

A fib

atrial fibrillation

AAA

abdominal aortic aneurysm

A/O

alert + oriented — physical exam

abd

abdominal/abdomen — spell out in notes

ABG

arterial blood gas — labs

Abx

antibiotics — spell out in notes

ADD

attention deficit disorder

ADHD

attention deficit + hyperactivity disorder

AICD

automated implantable cardiac defibrillator

AIDS

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

ALOC

altered level of consciousness — spell out in note

AMA

against medical device

AMS

altered mental status — spell out in note (HPI)

APGAR

appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, respiration (infants only)

appe

appendectomy

ARDS

acute respiratory distress syndrome

ASA

aspirin — spell out in notes

BAC

blood alcohol content

BG

blood glucose — spell out in notes

BID

twice a day

bilat

bilateral — spell out in notes

BiPAP

biphasic positive airway pressure

BLE

bilateral lower extremities — spell out in notes

BM

bowel movement — spell out in notes

BMP

basic metabolic panel

BNP

brain natriuretic peptide

BP

blood pressure — spell out in notes

BPH

benign prostate hyperplasia

BRBPR

bright red blood per rectum

BS

blood sugar, bowel sounds, breath sounds — spell out in notes

BTL

bilateral tubal ligation

BUE

bilateral upper extremities — spell out in notes

BUN

blood urea nitrogen

C. diff

clostridium difficile

CA

cancer — spell out in notes

CABG

coronary artery bypass graft

CAD

coronary artery disease

CT

computed tomography

cath

catheter

CBC

complete blood count

chole

cholecystectomy

CK

creatinine kinase

CKD

chronic kidney disease

CMP

comprehensive metabolic panel

CMT

cervical motion tenderness

CNS

central nervous system

c/o

complaints of

CO

carbon monoxide

COPD

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CP

cerebral palsy (chest pain) — spell out in notes

CPAP

continuous positive airway pressure

CPR

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

CRP

c-reactive protein

c-section

caesarean section

c-spine

cervical spine

CSF

cerebrospinal fluid

CTA

clear to auscultation OR computed tomography angiography

CV

cardiovascular

CVA

cerebrovascular accident OR costovertebral angle

CXR

chest x-ray — spell out in notes

DC

discontinue — spell out in notes

D/C

discharge

D&C

dilation and curettage

DDD

degenerative disc disease

DIP

distal interphalangeal (joint)

dispo

disposition

DJD

degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis)

DKA

diabetic ketoacidosis

DM

diabetes mellitus

two types: insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)

DNR

do not resuscitate

DOA

dead on arrival

DOB

date of birth

DP

dorsalis pedis

DTR

deep tendon reflexes

DVT

deep vein thrombosis

Dx

diagnosis/assessment — spell out in notes

ECHO

echocardiogram

E. coli

escherichia coli

ED

emergency department OR erectile dysfunction

EDD

expected date of delivery

EENT

eyes, ears, nose, and throat

EF

ejection fraction

EGD

esophagogastoduodenoscopy

EJ

external jugular

EKG/ECG

electrocardiogram

EMR/EHR

electronic medical record / electronic health record

EMS

emergency medical services

EMT

emergency medical technician

EMTALA

emergency medical treatment and active labor act

ENT

ears, nose, and throat (both a body system and a specialty)

EOM

extraocular movements

EOMI

extraocular movements intact

Epi

epinephrine

ERCP

endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

ESR

erythrocyte sedimentation rate

ESRD

end stage renal disease

EtOH

ethanol

ET tube

endotracheal tube

FB

foreign body — spell out in notes

FHx

family history — spell out in notes