BULLDOG MEDICAL
No politics. No agendas. Just medicine, health, and wellness.
Ճշգրիտ, անաչառ բժշկական տեղեկատվության ձեր թիվ 1 աղբյուրը:
This is not a complete list of all the abbreviations and acronyms used in the world of healthcare, but is a comprehensive list of the most commonly used ones—with simple explanations.
ā ante (Latin)
Before
A Assessment
A1C Glycated Hemoglobin
aa ana ana (Latin)
Of each
Amino Acids
Aa Arteria
AAA Abdominal Aortic Aneurism (pronounced “Triple-A”)
AAD Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
AAI Acute Arterial Insufficiency
AAL Anterior Axillary Line
AAPMC Antibiotic-Associated Pseudomembranous Colitis
AAT Activity As Tolerated
Advance As Tolerated
Atypical Antibody Test
ab Latin preposition
Away from
Ab Antibody
A/B Acid-Base Ratio
ABC Airway, Breathing, Circulation
Abd Abdominal
ABG Arterial Blood Gases
Measures the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH (acidity) levels of blood
An ABG test may detect lung diseases
ABLA Acute Blood-Loss Anemia
Abn Abnormal
ABO Landsteiner's Blood Grouping/Typing System
ABT Antibiotic Therapy
ABx Antibiotics
ACA Affordable Care Act
Anterior Cerebral Artery
Acc Accomodation
ac ante cibum (Latin)
Before meals
AC Antecubital
Area between the forearm and the biceps, at the crook of the elbow
Common IV site
ACCU Acute Cardiac Care Unit
ACD Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Anemia of Chronic Disease
Ace Acetone
ACE Angiotensin Converting Enzyme
ACE inhibitors are drugs used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure,
diabetes and kidney diseases
ACEI Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor(s)
ACh Acetylcholine
AChE Acetylcholine Esterase
ACL Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Ligament at the front center of the knee, attaching the thigh bone to the
shin bone
Commonly injured part of the knee
ACLS Advanced Cardiac Life Support
ACS Acute Coronary Syndrome
ACTH Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
ACP Advanced Care Planning
Advanced Clinical Practitioner
ACU Ambulatory Care Unit
ad Latin preposition
Towards
auris dextra (Latin)
Right ear
AD Acute Distress
Alzheimer’s Disease
Aortic Dissection
As Directed
ADA American Dental Association
American Diabetes Association
Dedicated to advancing diabetes research funding to help bring effective
new treatments, and, hopefully, a cure
Americans with Disabilities Act
ADD Attention Deficit Disorder
ADE Adverse Drug Event
ADH Antidiuretic Hormone
Plays an essential role in controlling the body's osmotic balance, blood
pressure regulation, sodium homeostasis, and kidney functioning
ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Symptoms include inability to focus, hyperactivity, and impulsivity
ADHF Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
ADLs Activities of Daily Living
ad lib ad libitum (Latin)
Freely, as desired
adm Admission
ADP Adenosine Diphosphate
ad part dolent ad partes dolentes (Latin)
To the painful parts
ADR Adverse Drug Reaction
ADW Ain’t Doin’ Well
Unofficial way of expressing the patient's status
A&E Accident and Emergency
Emergency Department in the United Kingdom
AEB As Evidenced By
AED Automated External Defibrillator
Anti-Epileptic Drugs
AEM Ambulatory Electrocardiogram Monitoring
AF Amniotic Fluid
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial Flutter
AFib Atrial Fibrillation
Irregular and often rapid heart rhythm
AFL Atrial Flutter
Ag Antigen
AGA Anti-Gliadin Antibodies
Appropriate Gestational Age
AGES Age, Grade, Extent, Size
Criteria for tumors
AGN Acute Glomerulonephritis
ah alternis horis (Latin)
Every other hour
AH Auditory Hallucinations
AHA American Heart Association
Dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke
AHD Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease
AHF Antihemophilic Factor
AHG Antihemophilic Globulin
AHH Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylase
AHI Apnea-Hypopnea Index
AHR Airway Hyper-Reactivity
AHT Antihyaluronic Acid Test
AI Aortic Insufficiency
Aromatase Inhibitor(s)
Artificial Insemination
Artificial Intelligence
AICD Automated Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator
AID Artificial Insemination by Donor
AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Syndrome caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Damaged immune system less able to fight infection and disease
AIH Artificial Insemination by Husband
AIHA Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
AIIRB Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist
AIPD Acute Infectious and Parasitical Diseases
Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
Autoimmune Progesterone Dermatitis
AIN Allergic Interstitial Nephritis
AIR Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation
Anterior Interval Release
AIS Adenocarcinoma in situ
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
AJCC American Joint Committee on Cancer
AjD Adjustment Disorder
aka Also Known As
AKA Above-Knee Amputation
AKI Acute Kidney Injury
al auris laevae (Latin)
Left ear
ALA Aminolevulinic Acid
ALCAPA Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery
ALF Assisted Living Facility
ALG Antilymphocytic Globulin
ALI Acute Limb Injury
Acute Lung Injury
ALL Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Allergies
ALP Alkaline Phosphatase (sometimes abbreviated “alk phos”)
An ALP test may detect liver or bone disease
ALPS Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome
ALS Advanced Life Support
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease or Motor Neurone Disease
Progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the Central Nervous System
(brain and spinal cord)
ALT Alanine Aminotransferase
An ALP test may detect liver disease
altern d alterno die (Latin)
Every other day
AMA Advanced Maternal Age
Against Medical Advice
Going against the provider’s recommendation
American Medical Association
Antimitochondrial Antibody
Amb Ambulate
AMC Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita
AMD Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Decreased or total loss of central vision
AMI Acute Mesenteric Ischemia
Acute Myocardial Infarction
Heart attack
AML Acute Myeloid Leukemia
AMO Advanced Medical Optics
Amp Ampule
AMP Adenosine Monophosphate
AMPA Alpha-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4-Isoxazolepropionic Acid Receptor
of the Brain
AMS Acute Mountain Sickness
Altered Mental Status
Change in alertness and orientation or responsiveness
Atypical Measles Syndrome
Amt Amount
ANA Antinuclear Antibody
An ANA test may detect an autoimmune disorder
ANCA Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody
AND Allowing Natural Death
ANF Atrial Natriuretic Factor
ANP Atrial Natriuretic Peptide
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
Regulates involuntary body processes including heart rate, blood pressure,
respiration, and sexual arousal
Component of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Contains the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric divisions
Ant Anterior
Ante Latin preposition
Before
Anti Latin preposition
Against
ANTR Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex
ANUG Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis
A&O Alert and Oriented
A way of gauging a person’s mental status
The four common assessments are person, place, time, and event
If a person can state their name and where they are but cannot state the
approximate time or recall what happened to them, they are A&Ox2
A&Ox4 Alert and Oriented Times Four
Person is alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event
“My name is John Smith, I’m in Central Park, it’s 9:00am Tuesday
morning, and I was attacked by an ill-tempered squirrel.”
AODM Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Also known as Type 2 Diabetes
The pancreas does not produce enough insulin, leading to too much sugar in
the blood
AOE Acute Otitis Externa
AOM Acute Otitis Media
A&P Anatomy and Physiology
Body structure and body function
Auscultation and Percussion
Listening to the internal sounds of the body and tapping on a surface to
determine the underlying structure
A/P Anterior – Posterior
Front and back
ap ante prandium (Latin)
Before a meal
AP Action Potential
Alkaline Phosphatase
Angina Pectoris
Anteroposterior
Apical
Area Postrema
APAP N-Acetyl-Para-Aminophenol
Acetaminophen, also known as Paracetamol
Tylenol
Automatic Positive Airway Pressure
APC Activated Protein C
Antigen-Presenting Cell
Argon Plasma Coagulation
Atrial Premature Contraction
APD Adult Polycystic Disease
Automated Peritoneal Dialysis
APECED Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy-Candidiasis-Ectodermal Dystrophy
APGAR Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration
Used to assess newborns
APH Antepartum Hemorrhage
APKD Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease
APLA Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome
The immune system mistakenly creates antibodies that attack body tissues
applic applicandus (Latin)
To be applied
APLS Antiphospholipid Syndrome
appy Appendectomy
APP As Per Protocol
APR Abdominoperineal Resection
APS Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Autoimmune Polyendocrine/Polyglandular Syndrome
aPTT Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time
How long it takes the blood to clot
aq aqua (Latin)
Water
aq bull aq bulliens (Latin)
boiling water
aq calid aqua calida (Latin)
warm or hot water
aq dist aqua distillate (Latin)
Distilled water
aq gel aqua gelida (Latin)
Cold water
AR Aortic Regurgitation
Attributable Risk
ARB Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist
ARBI Alcohol-Related Brain Injury
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder or Alcohol-Related Dementia
ARC AIDS-Related Complex
ARD Absolute Risk Difference
Alcohol-Related Dementia
ARDS Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
ARF Acute Renal Failure
Arg Arginine
ARM Artificial Rupture of Membranes
ARMD Age-Related Macular Degeneration
ARMS Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma
AROM Active Range of Motion
ART Antiretroviral Therapy
Assisted Reproductive Technology
ARVC Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
ARVD Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia
AS Ankylosing Spondylitis
Aortic Stenosis
Atherosclerosis
ASA Acetylsalicylic Acid
Aspirin
ASAP As Soon As Possible
Urgent
American Society of Anesthesiologists
ASB Asymptomatic Bacteriuria
ASC Ambulatory Surgery Center
Atypical Squamous Cells
ASCA Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae Antibodies
ASCAD Arteriosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease
ASC-H Atypical Squamous Cells—Cannot Exclude HSIL
ASCUS Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance
ASCVD Arteriosclerotic Vascular Disease (Arteriosclerosis)
ASD Atrial Septal Defect
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Developmental and neurological disorder that affects how a person learns,
behaves, communicates, and interacts with others
Symptoms typically appear within the first 2 years of life, but a person may be diagnosed at any age
ASGUS Atypical Squamous Glandular Cells of Undetermined Significance
ASH Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease
Asymmetric Septal Hypertrophy
ASHD Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease
ASIS Anterior Superior Iliac Spine
ASL American Sign Language
A form of language expressed by movements of the hands and face
ASM Anti-Seizure Medication
ASO Antistreptolysin-O
ASOT Antistreptolysin-O Titre
Ass Assessment
AST Aspartate Aminotransferase
An AST test may detect liver disease
ASx Asymptomatic
A-T Ataxia-Telangiectasia
AT Angiotensin
Antithrombin
AT-III Antithrombin III
ATA Antitransglutaminase Antibodies
ATB Antibiotic
ATG Anti-Thymocyte Globulin
ATLS Advanced Trauma Life Support
ATN Acute Tubular Necrosis
Atp Atypical
ATP Acute Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Adenosine Triphosphate
Antitachycardia Pacing
ATS Antitetanus Serum
Antitetanus immunoglobulins
aur auris (Latin)
Ear
aurist auristillae (Latin)
Ear drops
AUS Artificial Urinary Sphincter
AV Arteriovenous
Atrioventricular
Related to the area between the atria (upper chambers) and ventricles (lower chambers) of the heart
AVF Arteriovenous Fistula
AVM Arteriovenous Malformation
An abnormal connection between arteries and veins, usually in the brain or
spine
AVN Atrioventricular Node
Avascular Necrosis
AVR Aortic Valve Replacement
AVSD Atrioventricular Septal Defect
AVSS Afebrile, Vital Signs Stable
A&W Alive and Well
A/W Admitted With
Associated With
AW Alcohol Withdrawal
AWS Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome
Ax Axillary
AXR Abdominal X-Ray
AYA Adolescents and Young Adults
AZT Azidothymidine