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What does HOB or ROM mean? Do you know the different medical and nursing terms from the healthcare industry? We in the fields of nursing and medicine have our unique set of vocabulary. These terminologies are important for us to have a more understandable and efficient communication.Â
Differentiating abbreviations from acronyms
- Abbreviations are shortened forms for written words or phrases used in a place of the whole (e.g., vol for volume).
- Acronyms are words formed from the initial letter of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term (e.g., CBC for complete blood count).
Medical abbreviations were made to quickly but accurately document. Here’s a list of medical terminologies that you should know.
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Abbreviations & Acronyms |
Meaning  |
| aa | Of each, equal parts |
| ABR | Absolute bed rest |
| Abd. | Abdomen |
| ac | Before meals |
| AD | Admitting diagnosis |
| A&D | Admission and discharge |
| Ad lib | As desired, if the patient so desired |
| ADL | Activities of daily living |
| Adm. | Admission |
| Ad. Spec. | Admission urine specimen |
| A.M. or a.m., AM or am | Morning |
| amb | Ambulation, walking, ambulatory, |
| Â | able to walk |
| amt. | Amount |
| AP or A.P. | Appendectomy |
| aqua | Water or H2O |
| @ | At |
| Approx. | Approximately |
| B&B or b&b | Bowel and bladder training |
| bid or B.I.D. or b.i.d. | Twice a day |
| b.m. or B.M. | Bowel movement, feces |
| B.P. or BP | Blood pressure |
| BR or br or B.R. or b.r. | Bedrest |
| BRP or B.R.P. or brp | Bathroom priviledges |
| BSC or bsc | Bedside commode |
| °C | Celsius degree (or centigrade) |
| c | With |
| Ca | Cancer |
| Cath. | Catheter |
| CBC or C.B.C. | Complete blood count |
| cc or c.c | Cubic centimeter |
| CCU or C.C.U | Cardiac care unit/ coronary care unit |
| CBR or C.B.R. or cbr | Complete bed rest |
| C/O or c/o | Complaint of |
| CO2 | Carbon dioxide |
| CS or C.S. or c.s | Central supply |
| CSD or csd or C.S.D | Central service department |
| CSR or csr and C.S.R | Central supply room |
| CVA or C.V.A | Cerebrovascular accident or stroke |
| CPR or C.P.R | Cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
| dc or d/c | Discontinue |
| del. M. Or d.r., or DR | Delivery room |
| Disch or dish or D/C | Discharge |
| D. % C. or D&C | Dilatation and curettage |
| drsg. | Dressing |
| DOA or D.O.A | Dead on arrival |
| Dr. or Dr | Doctor |
| DX | Diagnosis |
| ECG or EKG | Electrocardiogram |
| ED or E.D. | Emergency department |
| EEG or E.E.G. | Electroencephalogram |
| EENT or E.E.N.T. | Eye, ears, nose and throat |
| E. or E | Enema |
| ER or E.R. | Emergency room |
| °F | Fahrenheit degree |
| F. or Fe. or F or Fe | Female |
| FBS or F.B.S | Fasting blood sugar |
| FF or F.F. | Forced feeding or forced fluids |
| ft | Foot |
| Fx | Fracture |
| Fx urine | Fractional urine |
| gal | Gallon |
| GI or G.I. | Gastrointestinal |
| gt | One drop |
| gtt | Two or more drops |
| Gtt or G.T.T. | Glucose tolerance test |
| GU or G.U | Genitourinary |
| Gyn. or G.Y.N. | Gynecology |
| H2O | Water or aqua |
| HOB | Head of bed |
| hr | Hour |
| HS or hs | Bedtime or hour of sleep |
| ht | Height |
| hyper | Above or high |
| hypo | Below or low |
| H.W.B. or hwb or HWB | Hot water bottle |
| ICU or I.C.U. | Intensive care unit |
| I&O or I.&O. | Intake and output |
| Irr | Irregular |
| Isol. Or isol | Isolation |
| IV or I.V. | Intravenous |
| L | Liter |
| Lab. or lab | Laboratory |
| lb | Pound |
| LVN or L.V.N | Licensed vocational nurse |
| M | Male |
| Mat | Maternity |
| MD or M.D. | Medical doctor |
| Meas | Measure |
| mec | Meconium |
| med | Medicine |
| min | Minute |
| ml | Milliliter |
| Mn or mn or M/n | Midnight |
| N.A. or N/A | Nursing aide or nursing assistant |
| n/g tube or ng. tube or N.G.T. | Nasogastric tube |
| noct | At night |
| NP | Neuropsychiatric or nursing procedure |
| NPO or N.P.O | Nothing by mouth |
| nsy | Nursery |
| O2 | Oxygen |
| OB or O.B. | Obstetrics |
| Obt or obt. | Obtained |
| OJ or O.J. | Orange juice |
| Orb. | Orderly |
| OOB or O.O.B. | Out of bed |
| OPD or O.P.D. | Outpatient department |
| OR or O.R. | Operating room |
| Ortho | Orthopedics |
| OT or O.T | Occupational therapy or oral temperature |
| oz. | Ounce |
| PAR or P.A.R. | Postanesthesia room |
| Pc | After meals |
| Ped or Peds | Pediatrics |
| Per | by, through |
| p.m. or P.M., pm or PM | Afternoon |
| PMC or P.M.C | Postmortem care |
| PN or P.N. | Pneumonia |
| po | By mouth |
| post or p | after |
| postop or post op | Postoperative |
| post op spec | After surgery urine specimen |
| PP | Postpartum (after delivery) |
| PPBS | Postprandial blood sugar |
| pre | Before |
| prn or p.r.n. | Whenever necessary, when required |
| preop or pre op | Before surgery |
| pre op spec | Urine specimen before surgery |
| prep | Prepare the patient for surgery by shaving the skin. |
| Pt or pt | Patient; pint |
| PT or P.T. | Physical therapy |
| q | Every |
| qd | Every day |
| qh | Every hour |
| q2h | Every 2 hours |
| q3h | Every 3 hours |
| q4h | Every 4 hours |
| QHS or qhs | Every night at bed time/ hour of sleep |
| qid or Q.I.D. | Four times a day |
| qam or q am or q.a.m. | Every morning |
| qod or Q.O.D | Every other day |
| qs | Quantity sufficient, as much as required |
| qt | quart |
| r or R | rectal or Rectal |
| Rm or rm | Room |
| RN or R.N. | Registered nurse |
| Rom or R.O.M. | Range of motion |
| RR or R Rm. | Recovery room |
| Rx | Prescription or treatment ordered by a physician |
| s or ? | Without |
| S&A | Sugar and acetone |
| S&A test or S.& A. test | Sugar and acetone test |
| S&K or S.& K. test | Sugar and ketone test |
| SOB | Shortness of breath |
| sos | Whenever emergency arises; only if necessary |
| SPD | Special purchasing department |
| Spec or spec. | Specimen |
| ss or ?? | One-half |
| SSE or S.S.E. | Soapsuds enema |
| Stat | At once, immediately |
| STD | Sexually transmitted disease |
| Surg | Surgery |
| tid or T.I.D. | Three times a day |
| TLC or tlc | Tender loving care |
| TPR | Temperature, pulse, respiration |
| TWE | Tap water enema |
| U/a or U/A or u/a | Urinalysis |
| Ung. | Ointment, unguentine |
| VDRL | Test for syphilis |
| V.S or VS | Vital signs |
| WBC or W.B.C. | White blood count |
| w/c | Wheel chair |
| wc or W.C. | Ward clerk |
| wt | Weight |
To effectively communicate either through oral communication and documentation, we healthcare workers should have a sound knowledge about the different abbreviations and acronyms used. Here are some of the acronyms and abbreviations that you might see on charts or documents.
List of Medical and Nursing Abbreviations & Acronyms
| A / G | albumin / globulin ratio |
| AAL | anterior Axillary Line |
| ABG | arterial blood gases |
| AC | before eating |
| ACE | angiotensin converting enzyme |
| ACL | Anterior Cruciate Ligament |
| ACLS | advanced cardiac life support |
| ACTH | adrenocorticotropic hormone |
| ADH | antidiuretic hormone |
| ADL | activities of daily living |
| ADSF | Anterior Decomposition Spinal Fusion |
| AFB | acid-fast bacilli |
| AFP | alpha-fetoprotein |
| AGA | appropriate for gestational age |
| AGN | Acute Glomerulonephritis |
| AI | aortic insufficiency |
| AIDS | acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
| AKA | Above Knee Amputation |
| AKA | above knee amputation |
| ALD | alcoholic liver disease |
| ALL | acute lymphocytic leukemia |
| ALP | alkaline phosphatase |
| ALT | alanine transaminase, alanine aminotransferase |
| APR | Abdominoperineal Resection |
| ARF | Acute Renal Failure |
| ASA | Acute Surgical Abdomen |
| ATN | acute tubular necrosis |
| AU | both ears |
| AV | atrioventricular |
| ad lib | as much as needed |
| B.S. | Bachelor of Science |
| B/K | below knee |
| BAT | Blunt Abdominal Trauma |
| BIH | Bilateral Inguinal Hernia |
| BKA | Below Knee Amputation |
| BM | bowel movement or breast milk |
| BX | biopsy |
| c | with |
| C/O | complaining of |
| CA | calcium, cancer, carcinoma |
| CAA | crystalline amino acids |
| CABG | coronary artery bypass graft |
| CAD | coronary artery disease |
| CAPD | continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis |
| CAT | computerized axial tomography |
| CA | Cancer |
| CBC | complete blood count |
| CBD | common bile duct |
| CBDE | Common Bile Duct Exploration |
| CBD | Common Bile Duct |
| CBG | capillary blood gas |
| CBI | continuous bladder irrigation |
| CBS | capillary blood sugar |
| CC | chief complaint |
| CCK | cholecystokinin |
| CCPD | continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis |
| CCU | clean catch urine or cardiac care unit |
| CCV | critical closing volume |
| CF | cystic fibrosis |
| CHF | congestive heart failure |
| CHO | carbohydrate |
| CI | cardiac index |
| CKD | Chronic Kidney Disease |
| CLEA | Continuous Lumbar Epidural Anesthesia |
| CLT | Clinical Laboratory Technician |
| CML | chronic myelogenous leukemia |
| CN | cranial nerves |
| CNS | central nervous system |
| CO | cardiac output |
| COM | Chronic Otitis Media |
| COPD | chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
| CP | chest pain, cleft palate |
| CPD | cephalo-pelvic disproportion |
| CPK | creatinine phosphokinase |
| CPP | cerebral perfusion pressure |
| CPR | cardiopulmonary resuscitation |
| CRCL | creatinine clearance |
| CRF | chronic renal failure |
| CRT | capillary refill time |
| CSF | cerebrospinal fluid |
| CT | computerized tomography |
| CVA | cerebral vascular accident, costovertebral angle |
| CVP | central venous pressure |
| D3 | Distal Third |
| D5W | 5% dextrose in water |
| DAT | diet as tolerated |
| DC | (dc) discontinue |
| DIC | disseminated intravascular coagulopathy |
| DIH | Direct Inguinal Hernia |
| DKA | diabetic ketoacidosis |
| DL | Direct Laryngoscopy |
| DM | diabetes mellitus |
| DNA | deoxyribonucleic acid |
| DNR | do not resuscitate |
| DOA | dead on arrival |
| DOE | dyspnea on exertion |
| DPT | diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus |
| DTR | deep tendon reflexes |
| DVT | deep venous thrombosis |
| DX | diagnosis |
| EAA | essential amino acids |
| EBL | estimated blood loss |
| EBV | Epstein-Barr Virus |
| ECCE | Extra Capsular Cataract Extraction |
| ECF | extracellular fluid, extended care facility |
| ECG | electrocardiogram |
| ECT | electroconvulsive therapy |
| EDC | Extensor Digitorum Communis |
| EDH | Epidural Hematoma |
| EEA | End to end Anastomosis |
| EEL | Emergency Exploratory Laparotomy |
| EENT | eye, ear, nose and throat |
| EFAD | essential fatty acid deficiency |
| EGD | Esophagogastroduodenoscopy |
| EMG | electromyogram |
| EMV | eyes, motor, verbal response (Glasgow coma scale) |
| ENT | ears, nose, and throat |
| EOM | extraocular muscles |
| ERCP | Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography |
| ESR | erythrocyte sedimentation rate |
| ESRD | end stage renal disease |
| ET | endotracheal tube |
| ETT | endotracheal tube |
| EUA | examination under anesthesia |
| FBE | Foreign Body Extraction |
| FBS | fasting blood sugar |
| FCU | Flexor Carpi Ulnaris |
| FDA | Food & Drug Administration |
| FDP | Flexor Digitorum Profundus |
| FDS | Flexor Digitorum Superficial |
| FESS | Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery |
| FEV | forced expiratory volume |
| FFP | fresh frozen plasma |
| FIA | Fistula in Ano |
| FNP | Family Nurse Practitioner |
| FTSG | Full Thickness Skin Grafting |
| GB | gallbladder |
| GC | gonorrhea |
| GCS | Glascow Coma Scale |
| GERD | gastroesophageal reflux disease |
| GETA | General Endotracheal Anesthesia |
| GFR | glomerular filtration rate |
| GI | gastrointestinal |
| GSW | Gunshot Wound |
| GTT | glucose tolerance test |
| GU | genitourinary |
| HB | hemoglobin |
| HBP | high blood pressure |
| HCG | human chorionic gonadotropin |
| HCO3 | bicarbonate |
| HCT | hematocrit |
| HD | hemodialysis |
| HDL | high density lipoprotein |
| HEENT | head, eyes, ears, nose, throat |
| HPT | Hemoperitoneum |
| I & D | Incision & Drainage |
| IBG | Iliac Bone Graft |
| ICS | Intercostal Space |
| IIH | Indirect Inguinal Hernia |
| IJ | Intrajugular |
| IOC | Intraoperative Cholangiogram |
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