| Abbreviation |
Stands for |
More information |
| ABG |
Arterial blood gases |
You may have an ABG test to detect lung diseases. |
| ACE |
Angiotensin converting enzyme |
Drugs called ACE inhibitors are used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes and kidney diseases. |
| ACL |
Anterior cruciate ligament |
Commonly injured part of the knee |
| ADHD |
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
A behavior disorder |
| AFIB |
Atrial fibrillation |
A disturbance of the rhythm of the heart |
| AIDS |
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome |
Infection caused by human immunodeficiency virus |
| ALP |
Alkaline phosphatase |
You may have a blood test for ALP to detect liver or bone disease. |
| ALS |
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. |
Also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease |
| ALT |
Alanine aminotransferase |
You may have a blood test for ALP to detect liver disease. |
| AMD |
Age-related macular degeneration |
An eye problem |
| AMI |
Acute myocardial infarction |
Heart attack |
| AODM |
Adult onset diabetes mellitus |
Type 2 diabetes |
| AST |
Aspartate aminotransferase |
You may have a blood test for ALP to detect liver disease. |
| AVM |
Arteriovenous malformation |
A defect in the circulatory system. |
| BID |
Twice a day |
Your doctor may write this on your prescription. |
| BMI |
Body mass index |
A measure of how much you should weigh based on your height |
| BP |
Blood pressure |
The force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries |
| BPH |
Benign prostatic hypertrophy |
Enlargement of the prostate gland |
| BRCA |
Breast Cancer Gene |
People with the gene may be at increased risk for breast or ovarian cancer. |
| BUN |
Blood urea nitrogen |
You may have a blood test for BUN to detect kidney disease problems. |
| CA |
Cancer OR Calcium |
|
| CA-125 |
Cancer antigen 125 |
You may have a blood test for CA-125 A to measure cancer activity. |
| CABG |
Coronary artery bypass graft |
A type of heart surgery |
| CAD |
Coronary artery disease |
A common type of heart disease |
| CAT |
Computerized axial tomography |
A type of x-ray |
| CBC |
Complete blood count |
A blood test that measures many properties of the cells in your blood |
| CHD |
Congenital heart disease |
Heart disease you were born with |
| CHF |
Congestive heart failure |
Also called heart failure. A condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood throughout the body. |
| CMV |
Cytomegalovirus |
A common virus |
| CNS |
Central nervous system |
The brain and spinal cord |
| COPD |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
A lung disease that makes it hard to breathe |
| CPK |
Creatine phosphokinase |
You may have a blood test for CPK to see if you’ve had a heart attack. |
| CPR |
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
An emergency procedure whose heart has stopper or is no longer breathing |
| CRF |
Chronic renal failure |
Failure of the kidneys |
| CRP |
C-reactive protein |
You may have a blood test for CRP to see if you have inflammation or heart problems. |
| CSF |
Cerebrospinal fluid |
A fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord |
| CVA |
Cerebrovascular accident |
A stroke or "brain attack" |
| CXR |
Chest x-ray |
A diagnostic test that uses radiation to make images of your lungs |
| D&C |
Dilatation and curettage |
A surgical procedure on the uterus (womb) |
| DJD |
Degenerative joint disease |
Another name for arthritis |
| DM |
Diabetes mellitus |
|
| DTP |
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis |
A vaccine for three diseases |
| DVT |
Deep-vein thrombosis |
A blood clot |
| DX |
Diagnosis |
|
| ECG, EKG |
Electrocardiogram |
A test that measures electrical impulses of the heart |
| ECHO |
Echocardiogram |
A test that uses sound waves to look at the heart |
| EEG |
Electroencephalogram |
A test that measures electrical impulses of the brain |
| EMG |
Electromyography |
A test that measures electrical impulses of muscles |
| ENT |
Ear, nose and throat |
|
| ERCP |
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography |
A way to diagnose problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas |
| ESR |
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate |
A blood test for inflammation |
| ESRD |
End-stage renal (kidney) disease |
|
| FSH |
Follicle stimulating hormone |
If you are a woman, you may have a blood test for FSH to evaluate fertility. |
| GERD |
Gastroesophageal reflux disease |
A problem that happens when stomach contents leak back into your gullet |
| GI |
Gastrointestinal |
Another term for your digestive system |
| GFR |
Glomerular filtration rate |
A test of kidney damage |
| GU |
Genitourinary |
The urinary and sex organs |
| HAV |
Hepatitis A virus |
A virus that causes one type of liver disease |
| HBV |
Hepatitis B virus |
A virus that causes one type of liver disease |
| HCT |
Hematocrit |
A blood test measurement |
| HCV |
Hepatitis C virus |
A virus that causes one type of liver disease |
| HDL |
High density lipoprotein |
A type of cholesterol, also known as "good" cholesterol |
| HGB |
Hemoglobin |
A blood test measurement |
| HIV |
Human immunodeficiency virus |
The virus that causes AIDS |
| HPV |
Human papilloma virus |
A virus that causes cervical cancer |
| HRT |
Hormone replacement therapy |
Hormones supplements that women may take |
| HTN |
Hypertension |
High blood pressure |
| IBD |
Inflammatory bowel disease |
A name for two digestive disorders-- ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease |
| IBS |
Irritable bowel syndrome |
A problem with the large intestine |
| ICD |
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator |
A device that monitors heart rhythm problems |
| ICU |
Intensive care unit |
Special hospital unit |
| IDDM |
Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus |
Type 1 diabetes |
| IM |
Intramuscular |
A type of injection |
| IUD |
Intrauterine device |
A type of birth control for women |
| IV |
Intravenous |
A type of injection |
| IVP |
Intravenous pyelogram |
An x-ray test of the urinary system |
| LDL |
Low density lipoprotein |
A type of cholesterol, also known as "bad" cholesterol |
| LFT |
Liver function tests |
|
| MI |
Myocardial infarction |
Heart attack |
| MMR |
Measles, mumps, and rubella |
A vaccine for three diseases |
| MRI |
Magnetic resonance imaging |
A type of imaging test |
| MRSA |
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus |
A type of infection |
| MS |
Multiple sclerosis |
A disease of the nervous system |
| NG |
Nasogastric |
You may need an NG tube to empty the contents of your stomach. |
| NIDDM |
Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus |
Type 2 diabetes |
| NKDA |
No known drug allergies |
|
| NSAID |
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug |
Drugs like ibuprofen |
| OCD |
Obsessive-compulsive disorder |
A type of anxiety disorder |
| PAD |
Peripheral arterial disease |
Diseases of the arteries outside the heart |
| PAP |
Papanicolau |
You may need a PAP test to detect cervical cancer. |
| PAT |
Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia |
A disturbance of the rhythm of the heart |
| PET |
Positron emission tomography |
A type of x-ray test |
| PFT |
Pulmonary function test |
You may need PFTs to find out how your lungs are working. |
| PID |
Pelvic inflammatory disease |
Infection and inflammation of the female reproductive organs |
| PMS |
Premenstrual syndrome |
A group of symptoms that may happen before a woman’s period |
| PPD |
Purified protein derivative |
You may have a PPD skin test for tuberculosis. |
| PRN |
As needed |
Your doctor may write this on your prescription. |
| PSA |
Prostate specific antigen |
You may have a blood test for PSA to detect prostate disease. |
| PT |
Prothrombin time |
A measure of blood clotting |
| PTH |
Parathyroid hormone |
You may have a blood test for PTH to detect parathyroid disease. |
| PTSD |
Post-traumatic stress syndrome |
An illness caused by traumatic events |
| PTT |
Partial thromboplastin time |
A measure of blood clotting |
| PUD |
Peptic ulcer disease |
A disease of the stomach |
| PVC |
Premature ventricular contraction |
A disturbance of the rhythm of the heart |
| QID |
Four times a day |
Your doctor may write this on your prescription. |
| RA |
Rheumatoid arthritis |
A type of joint disease |
| RBC |
Red blood cell |
A type of blood cell |
| RSV |
Respiratory syncytial virus |
A virus that causes infections in children |
| Rx |
Treatment |
|
| SAD |
Seasonal affective disorder |
Depression during seasons with little light |
| SIDS |
Sudden infant death syndrome |
|
| SLE |
Systemic lupus erythematosus |
Lupus for short |
| SOB |
Shortness of Breath |
|
| STD |
Sexually transmitted disease |
|
| T3 |
Triiodothyronine |
You may have a blood test for T3 to detect thyroid disease. |
| T4 |
Thyroxine |
You may have a blood test for T4 to detect thyroid disease. |
| TB |
Tuberculosis |
An infection of the lungs |
| TAH |
Total abdominal hysterectomy |
Surgery to remove a woman's uterus (womb) |
| TIA |
Transient ischemic attack |
A small stroke |
| TIBC |
Total iron binding capacity |
A test that measures the amount of iron in your blood |
| TID |
Three times a day |
Your doctor may write this on your prescription. |
| TMJ |
Temporomandibular joint |
The joint that connects your jaw to the side of your head |
| TORCH |
Stands for a group of infections that may cause birth defects |
A newborn will have this test to check for infections. Sometimes the mother also needs the test. |
| TSH |
Thyroid stimulating hormone |
You may have a blood test for TSH to detect thyroid disease. |
| TURP |
Transurethral resection of prostate gland |
An operation to remove parts of the prostate gland |
| URI |
Upper respiratory infection |
Another name for the common cold |
| UTI |
Urinary tract infection |
Infection of the bladder and kidneys |
| XRT |
Radiotherapy |
Therapy that uses radiation, usually for cancer |
| WBC |
White blood cell |
A type of blood cell |
