Medical Terminology - Final Review: Abbreviations

b.i.d. or bid

twice a day

a with a line over it

before/ante

a.c., ac

before meals

NICU

neonatal intensive care unit

p with a line over it

after; following

per

by

post-op

after operation

pre-op

before operation (preoperative)

Rx

treatment using a recipe or drug

S/P, s/p

status post (previous disease condition)

U/S, u/s

ultrasound (imaging examination)

c with a line over it

with

CBC

complete blood count

Dx

diagnosis

h, hr

hour

p.o., po

by mouth

p.r.n., prn

as needed

Px

prognosis

q.i.d., qid

four times a day

RBC, rbc

red blood cell (count)

s with a line over it

without

t.i.d., tid

three times a day

WBC, wbc

white blood cell (count)

ROS

review of systems

pt

patient

MRI

magnetic resonance imaging

RUQ

right upper quadrant (of the abdomen)

RLQ

right lower quadrant (of the abdomen)

LUQ

left upper quadrant (of the abdomen)

LLQ

left lower quadrant (of the abdomen)

CXR

chest x-ray (image)

CT

CAT scan

S1-S5

sacral vertebra, 1 - 5

L1-L5

lumbar vertebra, 1 - 5

T1-T12

thoracic vertebra, 1 - 12

C1-C7

cervical vertebra, 1 - 7

PA

posteroanterior = back to front

AP or A/P

anteroposterior = front to back

:

ratio, “is to”

°

degree; hour

2°

second-degree (burn, heart block); secondary to

1°

first degree (burn, heart block); primary

<

is less than

>

is greater than

→

to (in the direction of)

♂

male

♀

female

↓

below, decrease

↑

above, increase

-

negative

+

positive

≠

does not equal

=

equals

AV

arteriovenous; atrioventricular

BPH

benign prostatic hypertrophy (hyperplasia)

CRF

chronic renal failure

CCU

coronary care unit; critical care unit

chemo

chemotherapy

DM

diabetes mellitus

DRE

digital rectal examination

ED

emergency department; erectile dysfunction

ER

emergency room

ECG or EKG

electrocardiography

ENT

ears, nose, throat

Fx

fracture

GI

gastrointestinal

GYN or gyn

gynecology

H&P

history and physical (examination)

ICU

intensive care unit

LPN

licensed practical nurse

MD, M.D.

doctor of medicine; muscular dystrophy

MI

myocardial infarction (heart attack)

OB

obstetrics

OR

operating room

ORTH or ortho

orthopedics or orthopaedics

OT

occupational therapy

PA

physician’s assistant

PE

physical examination

PSA

prostate-specific antigen (screening test for prostate cancer)

PT

physical therapy

RN

registered nurse

RR

recovery room

TURP

transurethral resection of the prostate gland