Flixton Road Medical Centre

Abbreviations you may find in your health records

Here you can find out what some of the most common medical abbreviations mean. This may be useful if you want to understand your health records. An abbreviation is a short way of writing a longer word or phrase.

Important

Healthcare staff sometimes use the same abbreviations to mean different things.

If you do not know what something in your health records means, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

List of abbreviations

List of abbreviations
AbbreviationMeaning
#broken bone (fracture)
A&Eaccident and emergency
a.c.before meals
a.m., am, AMmorning
AFatrial fibrillation
AMHPapproved mental health professional
APTTactivated partial thromboplastin time (a measure of how long it takes your blood to clot)
ASQAges and Stages Questionnaire (a set of questions about children’s development)
b.d.s, bds, BDS2 times a day
b.i.d., bid, bdtwice a day / twice daily / 2 times daily
BMIbody mass index
BNObowels not open
BObowels open
BPblood pressure
c/cchief complaint
CMHNcommunity mental health nurse
CPNcommunity psychiatric nurse
CSFcerebrospinal fluid
CSUcatheter stream urine sample
CT scancomputerised tomography scan
CVPcentral venous pressure
CXRchest X-ray
DNACPRdo not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation
DNARdo not attempt resuscitation
DNRdo not resuscitate
Drdoctor
DVTdeep vein thrombosis
Dxdiagnosis
ECGelectrocardiogram
EDemergency department
EEGelectroencephalogram
EMUearly morning urine sample
ESRerythrocyte sedimentation rate (a type of blood test used to help diagnose conditions associated with inflammation)
EUAexamination under anaesthetic
FBCfull blood count (a type of blood test)
FY1 FY2foundation doctor
GAgeneral anaesthetic
gtt., gttdrop(s)
h., hhour
h/ohistory of
Hbhaemoglobin (a substance in red blood cells that moves oxygen around the body)
HCAhealthcare assistant
HCSWhealthcare support worker
HDLhigh-density lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol)
HRThormone replacement therapy
Htheight
Hxhistory
i1 tablet
ii2 tablets
iii3 tablets
i.m., IMinjection into a muscle
i.v., IVinjection directly to a vein
INRinternational normalised ratio (a measure of how long blood takes to clot)
IVIintravenous infusion
IVPintravenous pyelogram (an X-ray of your urinary tract)
Ixinvestigations
LAlocal anaesthetic
LDLlow-density lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol)
LFTliver function test (a type of blood test measuring enzymes and proteins in your liver)
LMPlast menstrual period
M/Rmodified release
MRImagnetic resonance imaging
MRSAmethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
MSUmid-stream urine sample
n.p.o., npo, NPOnothing by mouth / not by oral administration
NADnothing abnormal discovered
NAInon-accidental injury
NBMnil by mouth
NGnasogastric (running between your nose and stomach)
nocteevery night
NoFneck of femur
NSAIDnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
o.d., od, ODonce a day
o/eon examination
OToccupational therapist
p.c.after food
p.m., pm, PMafternoon or evening
p.o., po, POorally / by mouth / oral administration
p.r., pr, PRrectally
p.r.n., prn, PRNas needed
p/cpresenting complaint
physiophysiotherapist
POPplaster of paris
PTTpartial thromboplastin time (a measure of how quickly your blood clots)
PUpassed urine
q.every
q.1.d., q1devery day
q.1.h., q1hevery hour
q.2.h., q2hevery 2 hours
q.4.h., q4hevery 4 hours
q.6.h., q6hevery 6 hours
q.8.h., q8hevery 8 hours
q.d., qdevery day / daily
q.d.s, qds, QDS4 times a day
q.h., qhevery hour, hourly
q.i.d, qid4 times a day
q.o.d., qodevery other day / alternate days
q.s., qsa sufficient quantity (enough)
RNregistered nurse
RNLDlearning disability nurse
ROSCreturn of spontaneous circulation
RTAroad traffic accident
Rxtreatment
s.c., SCinjection under the skin
S/Rsustained release
SLTspeech and language therapist
SpRspecialist registrar
stat.immediately, with no delay, now
STEMIST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
t.d.s, tds, TDS3 times a day
t.i.d., tid3 times a day
TCIto come in
TFTthyroid function test
TPNtotal parenteral nutrition
TPRtemperature, pulse and respiration
TTAto take away
TTOto take out
U&Eurea and electrolytes
u.d., udas directed
UCCurgent care centre
UTIurinary tract infection
VLDLvery-low density lipoprotein (a type of cholesterol)
VTEvenous thromboembolism (a blood clot that forms in a vein)
Wtweight

If you cannot find the abbreviation you are looking for

Speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for help with understanding your health records.


Source: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/nhs-app-help-and-support/health-records-in-the-nhs-app/abbreviations-commonly-found-in-medical-records/

Date published: 17th June 2023
Date last updated: 17th June 2023