Medical terminology

Abbreviations & Medical Terminology

  • This section introduces key abbreviations relevant to medical and professional terminology.

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Professional & Public Health Organizations

  • American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

    • A key organization in the sports medicine and exercise science fields.

  • Clinical Exercise Physiology Association (CEPA)

    • An affiliate society of ACSM.

  • American Heart Association (AHA)

    • The oldest and largest organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke in the U.S.

  • American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)

    • A multidisciplinary professional association focused on cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

    • A cabinet-level department responsible for protecting the health of Americans.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

    • A key federal health organization focusing on disease prevention and health promotion.

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)

    • The largest biomedical research agency in the world, part of HHS.

  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

    • A key institute under NIH focused on heart, lung, and blood diseases.

  • National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)

    • Established by NHLBI in 1985 to educate on cholesterol and heart disease risk reduction.

  • U.S. Surgeon General

    • Nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, overseeing the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

  • Established in 1954

    • A professional organization for sports medicine and exercise science.

  • Membership

    • Over 50,000 members and certified professionals.

  • Publications

    • Published the "Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription" textbook.

    • Publishes the journal "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" and many other scientific materials.

Clinical Exercise Physiology Association (CEPA)

  • Purpose

    • To advance the scientific and practical application of clinical exercise physiology aimed at improving the health and quality of life for patients at high risk for chronic diseases.

  • Focus

    • Advocacy, education, and career development within clinical exercise physiology.

American Heart Association (AHA)

  • Founded in 1924

    • The nation’s oldest voluntary organization dedicating efforts to combat heart disease and stroke.

American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)

  • Composition

    • A multidisciplinary association of health professionals in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

  • Overview

    • A cabinet-level executive branch department down to protect the health of all Americans and provide essential human services.

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)

    • Part of HHS, leading the world's largest biomedical research efforts.

  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

    • The third largest of NIH institutes, located in Bethesda, Maryland.

  • National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)

    • Launched by NHLBI in 1985 focused on educating the public and medical professionals on cholesterol management.

  • U.S. Surgeon General

    • Appointed position confirmed by the Senate, overseeing public health efforts through the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, which consists of over 6,000 officers.

Signs and Symptoms of Cardiovascular Issues

  • Common Signs/Symptoms

    • Angina pectoris

    • Ischemia

    • Silent ischemia

    • Syncope (temporary loss of consciousness)

    • Orthopnea (difficulty breathing while lying flat)

    • Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (shortness of breath at night)

    • Edema (swelling from fluid retention)

    • PAD/PVD (Peripheral Artery Disease/Peripheral Vascular Disease)

    • Palpitations (irregular heartbeats)

    • Tachycardia (rapid heart rate) / bradycardia (slow heart rate)

    • Intermittent claudication (pain in legs when walking)

    • Heart murmur

Additional Signs/Symptoms

  • Miscellaneous Symptoms

    • Perfusion (blood flow)

    • Ataxia (lack of muscle control)

    • Pallor (paleness)

    • Cyanosis (bluish skin due to lack of oxygen)

    • Diaphoresis (excessive sweating)

    • Related terms: congenital, ectopic, compensatory, accentuated, attenuated, prodromal (early symptoms indicating a disease).

Localization/Positions of Symptoms

  • Anatomical Locations for Symptoms

    • Substernal (below the sternum)

    • Midthorax (around the middle of the thorax)

    • Interscapular (between the shoulder blades)

    • Submammary (below the breast)

    • Hemithorax (one side of the thorax)

    • Recumbent (lying down)

    • Bilateral/unilateral (two sides/one side)

    • Apical (pertaining to the apex of the heart).

Intensity of Exercise and Cardiovascular Metrics

  • Key Physiological Measures

    • Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF)

    • Maximal aerobic capacity

    • Oxygen uptake reserve (VO2R)

    • Heart rate reserve (HRR)

    • Volume of oxygen consumed per minute (VO2)

    • Metabolic equivalents (METs)

    • Myocardial oxygen cost

    • Cardiac output (Q)

    • Stroke volume.

Cardiovascular System Terminology

  • Cardiovascular Diseases

    • Cardiovascular disease (CVD)

    • Coronary artery disease (CAD)

    • Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (includes ischemic and hemorrhagic types)

    • Transient ischemic attack (TIA)

    • Sudden cardiac death (SCD)

    • Cardiomyopathy (CM) (includes hypertrophic and dilated)

    • Acute myocardial infarction (AMI)

    • Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

    • Peripheral vascular disease (PVD)

    • Left ventricular dysfunction

    • Aortic stenosis

    • Congestive heart failure (CHF)

    • Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD)

    • Acute coronary syndrome (ACS)

    • Arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythms)

    • Arrhythmogenic (causing arrhythmias)

    • Cardiac arrest

    • Cardiogenic shock.

Additional Cardiovascular Conditions

  • Continued Cardiovascular Terminology

    • Cardiac sarcoidosis

    • Chronotropic/inotropic abnormalities

    • Myocardial oxygen cost

    • Idiopathic hyperkinetic heart syndrome

    • Thrombus/embolus (blood clots)

    • Aneurysm (vessel dilation)

    • Pericardial effusion (fluid in the pericardial sac)

    • Cardiac tamponade (pressure on the heart)

    • Cor pulmonale (right heart failure due to lung disease)

    • Cardiomegaly (enlarged heart)

    • Heart murmur

    • Mitral valve prolapse (MVP)

    • Valvular regurgitation

    • Valvular stenosis

    • Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)

    • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Procedures and Other Cardiac Terms

  • Interventional Procedures

    • Angiogram (imaging of blood vessels)

    • Angioplasty (widening narrowed or obstructed arteries)

    • Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)

    • Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

    • Stent insertion (to keep arteries open)

    • Atherectomy (removal of atherosclerotic plaque)

    • Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)

    • Sternotomy (surgical opening of the chest)

    • Pacemaker (device to regulate heartbeats)

    • Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)

    • Ejection fraction (EF) (percentage of blood leaving the heart each time it contracts)

    • Cardiac output (CO or Q)

    • Rate-pressure product (RPP)

    • Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)

    • Fistula (abnormal connection between vessels).

Metabolic Diseases

  • Categories of Diabetes

    • Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM or T1D)

    • Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM or T2D)

  • Metabolic Measures

    • Insulin resistance

    • Plasma glucose levels

    • Hyperlipidemia (high fat levels in the blood)

    • Dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of lipids in blood)

    • Fasting plasma glucose (FPG)

    • Impaired fasting glucose (IFG)

    • Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)

    • Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)

    • Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C).

Pulmonary System

  • Diseases and Metrics

    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

    • Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB)

    • Minute ventilation

    • Forced expiratory volume (FEV1.0)

    • Forced vital capacity (FVC)

    • Respiratory exchange ratio (RER)

    • Percent saturation of arterial oxygen (SaO2 or SpO2)

    • Expired ventilation per minute (VE)

    • Ventilatory threshold

Miscellaneous Medical Terminology

  • General Terms

    • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

    • Sleep Apnea

    • Sensitivity and Specificity (in diagnostic testing)

    • Predictive value (of tests)

    • Absolute/relative (terms used in measurements or conditions)

    • Acute/chronic (time frame of conditions)

    • Auscultation/palpation (clinical examination techniques)

    • True/false positives/negatives (test results);

    • Hemodynamics (the study of blood flow)

    • Serum (the clear fluid in blood)

    • Malignant/benign (cancer terminology)

    • Anomaly (deviation from normal)

    • Necropsy (autopsy).

Frequency Abbreviations

  • Common Frequency Codes

    • QD: 1x/day

    • QOD (QAD): every other day

    • qHOUR (example: q4): every "q" hours

    • QID: 4x/day

    • TID: 3x/day

    • BID: 2x/day

    • PRN: as needed

    • STAT: as soon as possible

    • Noc: night

    • Ad Lib: as wanted.

  • Symptom Abbreviations

    • SOB: shortness of breath

    • DOE: dyspnea on exertion

    • ETOH: ethanol (ethyl alcohol)

    • R/O: rule out

    • S/P: status post (after treatment)

    • Sx: symptoms

    • Hx: history

    • Tx: treatment.

Emergency Codes

  • Healthcare Emergency Codes

    • Aqua Flood: emergency flood situation

    • Black: bomb threat

    • Orange: external disaster

    • Purple: hostage taking

    • Blue: cardiac arrest / medical emergency

    • Red: fire/smoke emergency

    • Brown: hazardous spill within the facility

    • Green: evacuation

    • Silver: active attacker situation

    • White: active shooter situation

    • Grey: infrastructure loss or failure

    • Yellow: missing adult, infant, or child (amber alert).

  • Last updated: November 2018.