List of Abbreviations

Medical literature is riddled with a seemingly endless amount of different abbreviations, as especially clinicians are particularly fond of using them. This article has been designed to help our readers find out what most used acronyms and abbreviations stand for. Naturally we haven't listed all the abbreviations one can find in EBM Guidelines, but hopefully the most useful ones.

Medical abbreviations

A

Ab
- antibody
ACE
- angiotensin converting enzyme
ACTH
- adrenocorticotropic hormone
ADH
- antidiuretic hormone
ADHD
- attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
ADL
- Activities of Daily Life
AF
- atrial fibrillation
AFP
- alphafetoprotein
Ag
- antigen
AHA
- American Heart Association
AIDS
- acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
AIHA
- autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
ALAT
- alanine transaminase (aminotransferase) (=ALT)
ALP
- alkaline phosphatase
ALS
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
ALT
- alanine transaminase (aminotransferase) (=ALAT)
ANP
- atrial natriuretic peptide
AMI
- acute myocardial infarction
AOM
- acute otitis media
AP
- angina pectoris
APC
- activated protein C
APECED
- autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidosis-ectodermal dystrophy
ARDS
- adult respiratory distress syndrome
ASA
- acetylsalicylic acid
ASAT
- aspartate transaminase (aminotransferase)
ASD
- atrial septal defect
ATII
- angiotensin II
AV
- atrioventricular

B

BCG
- Calmette-Guérin bacillus (vaccine)
BE
- base excess
BMI
- body mass index
BNP
- brain natriuretic peptide
BP
- blood pressure
bpm
- beats per minute

C

CABG
- coronary artery bypass grafting
CAD
- coronary artery disease
CD4
- CD4 cell (helper-inducer T cell)
CHD
- coronary heart disease
CIN
- cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia
CK
- creatine kinase
CK-MB
- creatine kinase isoenzyme MB
CMV
- cytomegalovirus
CPAP
- continuous positive airway pressure
CNS
- central nervous system
COPD
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
COX
- cyclooxygenase (enzyme)
CRP
- C-reactive protein
CSF
- cerebrospinal fluid
CT
- compute(rize)d tomography

D

DIC
- disseminated intravascular coagulation
DIP
- distal interphalangeal (joint)
DM
- diabetes mellitus
DNA
- deoxyribonucleic acid
DVT
- deep venous thrombosis

E

EBM
- evidence-based medicine
EBV
- Epstein-Barr virus
ECG
- electrocardiography
EDTA
- ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid
EEG
- electroencephalography
EF
- ejection fraction
ELISA
- enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
EMG
- electromyography
ENMG
- electroneuromyography
ENT
- ear, nose and throat (specialist)
EPO
- erythropoietin
ESR
- erythrocyte sedimentation rate
EU
- European Union

F

FDA
- The Food and Drug Administration
FEV
- forced expiratory volume
FSH
- follicle-stimulating hormone (follitropin)
FVC
- forced vital capacity
FXa
- factor Xa (blood coagulation factor)

G

GAD
- glutamic acid decarboxylase (antibody)
GDS
- geriatric depression scale
GGT
- gamma-glutamyl transferase
GH
- growth hormone
GI
- gastrointestinal
GM
- grand mal (epilepsy)
GnRH
- gonadotropin-releasing hormone (gonadoliberin)
GP
- general practitioner

H

HbA1c
- glyc(osyl)ated haemoglobin
Hb
- haemoglobin
HBV
- hepatitis B virus
hCG
- human chorionic gonadotrophin
HCV
- hepatitis C virus
HDL
- high-density lipoprotein
Hib
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (vaccine)
HIV
- human immunodeficiency virus
HLA
- human leucocyte antigen
HPV
- human papillomavirus
HR
- heart rate
HRT
- hormone replacement therapy
HSV
- herpes simplex virus

I

IADL
- Instrumental Activities of Daily Life
ICD
- International Classification of Diseases
ICU
- intensive care unit
Ig
- immunoglobulin
IHD
- ischaemic heart disease
INH
- isoniazid (isonicotinic acid hydrazide)
INR
- international normalized ratio
ISA
- intrinsic sympathomimetic activity
ITP
- idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
IUD
- intrauterine device
IVF
- in vitro fertilization

K

KOH
- potassium hydroxide

L

LAD
- left anterior descending (artery)
LAFB
- left anterior fascicular block (=LAHB)
LAHB
- left anterior hemiblock (=LAFB)
LBBB
- left bundle brach block
LDL
- low-density lipoprotein
LH
- luteinizing hormone (lutropin)
LHRH
- luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (luliberin)
LMW
- low molecular weight
LMWH
- low-molecular-weight heparin
LPHB
- left posterior hemiblock (=LPFB)
LPFB
- left posterior hemiblock (=LPHB)
LV
- left ventricle
LVH
- left ventricular hypertrophy

M

MAO
- monoamine oxidase
MCH
- mean cell haemoglobin
MCP
- metacarpophalangeal (joint)
MCV
- mean cell volume
MI
- myocardial infarction
MMR
- measles, mumps and rubella (vaccine)
MOF
- multi-organ failure
MPA
- medroxyprogesterone acetate
MR
- magnetic resonance
MRI
- magnetic resonance imaging
MS
- multiple sclerosis
MTP
- metatarsophalangeal (joint)

N

NMDA
- N-methyl-D-aspartate
NNT
- number needed to treat
NPH
- Neutral Protamine Hagedorn (insulin)
NSAID
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
NYHA
- New York Heart Association

O

OME
- otitis media with effusion

P

Pap
- Papanicolaou (classification)
PCOS
- polycystic ovary syndrome
PCR
- polymerase chain reaction
PDT
- diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (vaccine)
PEF
- peak expiratory flow
PET
- positron emission tomography
PID
- pelvic inflammatory disease
PIP
- proximal interphalangeal (joint)
PM
- petit mal (epilepsy)
PMS
- premenstrual syndrome
PPI
- proton pump inhibitor
PSA
- prostate-specific antigen
PTA
- percutaneous transluminal angioplasty
PTCA
- percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
PTF
- P terminal force
PTH
- parathyroid hormone

R

RAFB
- right anterior fascicular block (=RAHB)
RAHB
- right anterior hemiblock (=RAFB)
RAST
- radioallergosorbent test
RBBB
- right bundle branch block
RBC
- red blood cell
RDS
- respiratory distress syndrome
REM
- rapid eye movement
RNA
- ribonucleic acid
RR
- blood pressure (Riva-Rocci)
RVH
- right ventricular hypertrophy

S

SA
- sinoatrial (node)
SAH
- subarachnoid haemorrhage
SD
- standard deviation
SLE
- systemic lupus erythematosus
SSRI
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
SSS
- sick sinus syndrome
ST
- sinus tachycardia
STD
- sexually transmitted disease
SVT
- supraventricular tachycardia
SUP
- selective ultraviolet phototherapy

T

T3
- triiodothyronine
T4
- thyroxine
tbc
- tuberculosis
TENS
- transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
TIA
- transient ischaemic attack
TNF
- tumour necrosis factor
TOS
- thoracic outlet syndrome
TPHA
- Treponema pallidum haemagglutination test
TSH
- thyroid-stimulating hormone (thyrotrophin)
TTP
- thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

U

UTI
- urinary tract infection
UV
- ultraviolet
UVA
- ultraviolet A
UVB
- ultraviolet B

V

VAS
- visual analogue scale
VC
- vital capacity
VF
- ventricular fibrillation
VLDL
- very low density lipoprotein
VSD
- ventricular septal defect
VT
- ventricular tachycardia

W

WBC
- white blood cell
WHO
- World Health Organization
WPW
- Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

Units (not in alphabetical order)

mm
- millimetre
cm
- centimetre
m
- metre
m²
- square metre
m³
- cubic metre
gtt
- guttae (Latin), drops
fl
- femtolitre
µl
- microlitre
ml
- millilitre
cl
- centilitre
l
- litre
µg
- microgram
mg
- milligram
g
- gram
kg
- kilogram
sec.
- second
min.
- minute
h
- hour
J
- joule
MJ
- megajoule
W
- watt
kW
- kilowatt
Pa
- pascal
kPa
- kilopascal
cal
- calory
kcal
- kilocalory
Hz
- hertz
kHz
- kilohertz
dB
- decibel
mmHg
- millimetre of mercury
mmol
- millimole
IU
- international unit

Latin abbreviations (not in alphabetical order)

ad.
- addendum (Latin), to, until
ca.
- circa, approximately
e.g.
- exempli gratia (Latin), for example
etc.
- et cetera (Latin), and so forth
i.e.
- id est (Latin), that is, in effect
NB
- nota bene (Latin), note well
Sic!
- (Latin); thus, so (not a mistake and is to be read as it stands)

Pharmacological abbreviations (not in alphabetical order)

i.d.
- intradermal (intracutaneous)
i.m.
- intramuscular
i.v.
- intravenous
p.o.
- per os (Latin), orally, by mouth
p.r.
- per rectum (Latin), rectally
s.c.
- subcutaneous
o.d.
- omni dei (Latin), once a day
b.i.d.
- bis in die (Latin), twice a day
b.d.
- bis in die (Latin), twice a day
t.i.d.
- ter in die (Latin), three times a day
t.d.s.
- ter die sumendus (Latin), three times a day
q.i.d.
- quater in die (Latin), four times a day
q.d.s.
- quarter die sumendus (Latin), four times a day
Example of drug dosage: 1 × 3 × 5
- one tablet 3 times a day for 5 days

section name header

Front Matter

List of Abbreviations

Medical abbreviations

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Units (not in alphabetical order)

Latin abbreviations (not in alphabetical order)

Pharmacological abbreviations (not in alphabetical order)