Clinical, Technical, and Other Common Terms - Abbreviations

AMA Manual of Style - Stacy L. Christiansen, Cheryl Iverson 2020

Clinical, Technical, and Other Common Terms
Abbreviations

This compilation of clinical, technical, and other common terms and their abbreviations is not intended to be all-encompassing but is provided as a brief reference. There are many published listings of abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms (see 23.0, Resources). If searching the internet, choose an authoritative source because abbreviations may vary from entity to entity.

Many entities share the same abbreviation (eg, AMA for the American Management Association, American Marketing Association, American Medical Association, Academy of Model Aeronautics, American Motorcycle Association, American Music Association, and Art Museum of the Americas). Thus, preciseness takes precedence over the urge to abbreviate.

In addition, some abbreviations encompass more than one grammatical variant (eg, noun, adjective) of a term. For example, ECG represents both electrocardiogram and electrocardiographic. It is unnecessary to redefine the abbreviation for each variation in usage within a body of work. Similarly, terms that have singular and plural forms (eg, NSAID and NSAIDs) are defined once, whichever form is mentioned first.

It is not necessary to reexpand an abbreviation after its components have been defined earlier in a manuscript. For example, if “acute myocardial infarction (AMI)” appears in a manuscript, later mentions of “MI” need not be expanded again. In addition, if “myocardial infarction (MI)” appears in a manuscript, a later mention of “acute myocardial infarction (AMI)” can be presented as “acute MI (AMI).”

Do not make abbreviations possessive at first mention, even if the expanded form is possessive at first mention. It is often preferable to reword the sentence.

Avoid: The US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’) strategic plan will be updated periodically to reflect the department’s strategies, actions, and progress toward its goals.

Better: The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will update its strategic plan periodically to reflect the department’s strategies, actions, and progress toward its goals.

Most terms should be expanded at first mention. However, considerations for when this general rule might be set aside include comprehensibility, recognition, and space, as well as avoidance of cumbersome expressions. It is often preferred to use the abbreviation instead of the expansion in a long title or subtitle, a letter to the editor, a short social media post, or an informal essay.

Use common sense in deciding whether to abbreviate the terms in the following list and other terms. For example, if “acute respiratory distress syndrome” appears only once or twice in an article, spell it out. If the article discusses acute respiratory distress syndrome and the term is used several times, expand the term at first mention with the abbreviation (ARDS) immediately following in parentheses. Abbreviate it thereafter, except at the beginning of a sentence (but see below). Some terms may be known better in their abbreviated form (eg, HIPAA), and abbreviating them at first mention (with the expanded form following in parentheses) may be appropriate.

It is preferred not to use abbreviations at the beginning of a sentence. Exceptions can be made if the expansion is especially cumbersome, such as a collaborative group or clinical trial name or other acronym pronounced as a word (NICE, DECAAF, AIDS, CLIA, UNICEF) or if the abbreviation appears so often in the text that it is easily understood.

FDG-PET/CT imaging should be used to determine whether the next step should be biopsy or surgical resection [instead of “18F-fludeoxyglucose—positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) imaging should be used . . . ”].

US health care is in the midst of substantial change, potentially challenging the well-established self-governing structure of the medical profession and the professionalism of physicians [instead of “United States health care is in the midst of substantial change,. . . ”].

PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) tables were constructed using evidence from a broad review of the literature.

Avoid using an abbreviation as the sole term in a heading.

Avoid:

BMI

Preferred:

Body Mass Index or BMI and the Lowest Mortality

Also, avoid introducing an abbreviation in a heading:

Avoid:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Childhood disorders, such as ADHD, often persist into adolescence, when motor vehicle crash risk peaks.

Preferred:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Childhood disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), often persist into adolescence, when motor vehicle crash risk peaks.

Use an appropriate article (a or an) before an abbreviation according to the sound following the article (eg, a UN resolution, an ACE inhibitor) (see 7.3.2, Indefinite Articles, and 11.11, Articles).

Note: At a 2004 National Summit on Medical Abbreviations, The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations approved an official “do not use” list of abbreviations. This list applies to all medical orders and all medication-related documentation that are handwritten or on preprinted forms used in hospitals and other health care facilities and is designed to protect patients from potential harm. The Joint Commission’s requirement does not necessarily apply to the use of abbreviations in the publication of articles in scientific journals. The Joint Commission’s list is available at https://www.jointcommission.org/facts_about_do_not_use_list/.

Common Abbreviations and Expansions

Abbreviations that do not require expansion are noted.

Abbreviation

Expanded form

AAA

abdominal aortic aneurysm

ABC

avidin-biotin complex

ABG

arterial blood gas

ABI

ankle-brachial index

AC

alternating current

ACA

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

ACE

angiotensin-converting enzyme

ACEI

angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor

ACL

anterior cruciate ligament

ACLS

advanced cardiac life support

ACO

accountable care organization

ACS

acute coronary syndrome

ACTH

Use corticotropin (previously adrenocorticotropic hormone)

AD

Alzheimer disease

ADH

antidiuretic hormone

ADHD

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

ADL

activities of daily living (but 1 ADL, 6 ADLs)

aDNA

ancient DNA

ADP

adenosine diphosphate

ADPase

adenosine diphosphatase

AED

automated external defibrillator; antiepileptic drug

AF

atrial fibrillation

AFP

α-fetoprotein

AGREE

Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation

AI

artificial intelligence

AIDS

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (no need to expand)

AKA

above-the-knee [amputation]

ALL

acute lymphoblastic leukemia; acute lymphocytic leukemia

ALS

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ALT

alanine aminotransferase (previously SGPT)

AMI

acute myocardial infarction

AML

acute monocytic leukemia; acute myeloblastic leukemia; acute myelocytic leukemia

AMP

adenosine monophosphate

ANA

antinuclear antibody

ANCOVA

analysis of covariance

ANDA

abbreviated new drug application

ANLL

acute nonlymphocytic leukemia

ANOVA

analysis of variance

ANP

atrial natriuretic peptide

AOR

adjusted odds ratio

APACHE

Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation

APB

atrial premature beat

APC

atrial premature contraction

apo

apolipoprotein (apoA1, apoB, etc)

ARB

angiotensin receptor blocker (angiotensin subtypes I and II: AT1 and AT2)

ARC

AIDS-related complex (use symptomatic HIV infection)

ARDS

acute respiratory distress syndrome

ARMD

age-related macular degeneration

ARR

absolute risk reduction

ARRIVE

Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments

ART

antiretroviral therapy

ASC

atypical squamous cell

ASC-US

atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance

ASCVD

atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

ASD

atrial septal defect; autism spectrum disorder

AST

aspartate aminotransferase (previously SGOT)

ATP

adenosine triphosphate

ATPase

adenosine triphosphatase

AUC

area under the curve

AUD

alcohol use disorder

AUROC

area under the receiver operating characteristic curve

AVM

arteriovenous malformation

BAC

blood alcohol concentration

BAER

brainstem auditory evoked response

BAL

bronchoalveolar lavage

BCG

bacille Calmette-Guérin (but do not expand as a drug: BCG vaccine)

BCLS

basic cardiac life support

BDI

Beck Depression Inventory

bid

twice a day (do not use)

BKA

below-the-knee amputation

BMD

bone mineral density

BMI

body mass index

BMT

bone marrow transplantation

BNP

B-type natriuretic peptide; brain-type natriuretic peptide

BP

blood pressure

BPD

bronchopulmonary dysplasia

BPH

benign prostatic hyperplasia

BPRS

Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale

BSA

body surface area

BSE

bovine spongiform encephalopathy; breast self-examination

BUN

blood urea nitrogen (use serum urea nitrogen)

c, ca

circa (do not use)

C

complement (do not expand when used with a number, eg, C1, C2, . . . C9; see 14.8.3, Complement)

CABG

coronary artery bypass graft

CAC

coronary artery calcification; coronary artery calcium

CAD

coronary artery disease

CAHD

coronary artery heart disease

CAM

complementary and alternative medicine

cAMP

cyclic adenosine monophosphate

CARS

compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome

cART

combination (or combined) antiretroviral therapy

CBC

complete blood (add cell) count

CBT

cognitive behavior therapy

CCB

calcium channel blocker

CCTA

coronary computed tomographic angiography

CCU

cardiac care unit; critical care unit

CD

clusters of differentiation (use with a number, eg, CD4 cell; see 14.8.2, CD Cell Markers)

cDNA

complementary DNA

cfDNA

cell free DNA

ctDNA

circulating tumor DNA

CEA

carcinoembryonic antigen; cost-effectiveness analysis

CEDEX

Courrier d’Entreprise à Distribution EXceptionnelle (special business mail) (no need to expand)

cEEG

continuous electroencephalogram

CEU

continuing education unit

cf

compare (from the Latin confer, to compare) (no need to expand)

CF

cystic fibrosis

CFS

chronic fatigue syndrome

CFT

complement fixation test

CFU

colony-forming unit

CGH

comparative genomic hybridization

cGMP

cyclic guanosine monophosphate

CHD

coronary heart disease; congenital heart disease

CHEERS

Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards

CHF

congestive heart failure

CI

confidence interval (no need to expand)

CIED

cardiovascular implantable electronic device

CIN

cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

CIS

carcinoma in situ

CJD

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

CK

creatine kinase

CK-BB

creatine kinase BB (BB designates the isozyme) (largely replaced by troponin [Tn])

CKD

chronic kidney disease

CK-MB

creatine kinase MB (largely replaced by troponin [Tn])

CK-MM

creatine kinase MM (largely replaced by troponin [Tn])

CL

confidence limit

CLABSI

central line—associated bloodstream infection

CLIA

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments

CLL

chronic lymphocytic leukemia

CME

continuing medical education (no need to expand)

CMI

cell-mediated immunity

CMIT

carotid intima-media thickness

CML

chronic myelocytic leukemia

CMR

cardiac (or cardiovascular) magnetic resonance

CMV

cytomegalovirus

CNS

central nervous system

CONSORT

Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials

COPD

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

COREQ

Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research

COX-2

cyclooxygenase 2

CPAP

continuous positive airway pressure

CPD

continuing professional development

CPK

creatinine phosphokinase (use creatine kinase)

CPR

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

CPT

Current Procedural Terminology

CQI

continuous quality improvement

CRC

colorectal cancer

CRF

corticotropin-releasing factor

CRISPR

clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats

cRNA

complementary RNA

CRP

C-reactive protein

CRT

chemoradiation therapy

CSF

cerebrospinal fluid; colony-stimulating factor

CT

computed tomographic; computed tomography

CUA

cost-utility analysis

CUD

cannabis use disorder

CVA

cerebrovascular accident (specify subtype: hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, and/or transient ischemic attack)

CVD

cardiovascular disease

CVS

chorionic villus sampling

DALY

disability-adjusted life-year

dAMP

deoxyadenosine monophosphate (deoxyadenylate)

D&C

dilation and curettage

DBS

deep brain stimulation

DC

direct current

DCIS

ductal carcinoma in situ

DDD

defined daily dose

DDT

dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (chlorophenothane) (no need to expand)

DE

dose equivalent

DECT

dual-energy computed tomography

DEV

duck embryo vaccine

DEXA

dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry

DFA

direct fluorescence assay

DFS

disease-free survival

dGMP

deoxyguanosine monophosphate (deoxyguanylate)

DIC

disseminated intravascular coagulation

DIF

direct immunofluorescence

DJD

degenerative joint disease

DMARD

disease-modifying antirheumatic drug

DNA

deoxyribonucleic acid (no need to expand)

DNase

deoxyribonuclease

DNR

do not resuscitate

DOB

date of birth

DOI

digital object identifier

DOT

directly observed therapy

DOTS

directly observed therapy, short course

dpi

dots per inch (no need to expand)

DRE

digital rectal examination

DRG

diagnosis related group

DS

duplex sonography

DSM-III

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Third Edition)

DSM-III-R

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Third Edition, Revised)

DSM-IV

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition)

DSM-IV-TR

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision)

DSM-5

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition)

DSMB

data and safety monitoring board

DT

delirium tremens

DTaP

diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis [vaccine]

DTP

diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis [vaccine]

DVT

deep vein thrombosis

DXA

dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry

EBM

evidence-based medicine

EBP

evidence-based practice

EBV

Epstein-Barr virus

EC

ejection click

ECA

epidemiologic catchment area

ECG

electrocardiogram; electrocardiographic

ECMO

extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

ECT

electroconvulsive therapy

ED

effective dose; emergency department; erectile dysfunction

ED50

median effective dose

EDTA

ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (no need to expand)

EEE

eastern equine encephalomyelitis

EEG

electroencephalogram; electroencephalographic

EF

ejection fraction

eg

for example (from the Latin exempli gratia; see 11.1, Correct and Preferred Usage of Common Words and Phrases) (no need to expand)

EGD

esophagogastroduodenoscopy

eGFR

estimated glomerular filtration rate

EHR

electronic health record

EIA

enzyme immunoassay

ELISA

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

EM

electron microscope; electron microscopic; electron microscopy

EMG

electromyogram; electromyographic

EMIT

enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique

EMS

electrical muscle stimulation; emergency medical services; eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome

EMT

emergency medical technician

ENG

electronystagmogram; electronystagmographic

ENT

ear, nose, and throat

EPS

extrapyramidal symptoms

EOG

electro-oculogram; electro-oculographic

ERCP

endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

ERG

electroretinogram; electroretinographic

ESBL

extended-spectrum ß-lactamases

ESLD

end-stage liver disease

ESR

erythrocyte sedimentation rate

ESRD

end-stage renal disease

ESWL

extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

etc

et cetera (and so forth) (see 11.1, Correct and Preferred Usage of Common Words and Phrases) (no need to expand)

ETOH

ethyl alcohol

EVR

evoked visual response

EWAS

environment-wide association study; epigenome-wide association study

F

French (add catheter; use only with a number, eg, 12F catheter)

FA

fatty acid

FEF25%-75%

forced expiratory flow, midexpiratory phase (see 14.16, Pulmonary and Respiratory Terminology)

FEV

forced expiratory volume

FEV1

forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration

FFP

fresh frozen plasma

FGM

female genital mutilation

FHR

fetal heart rate

FIO2

fraction of inspired oxygen

FISH

fluorescence in situ hybridization

FLAIR

fluid-attenuated inversion recovery

fMRI

functional magnetic resonance imaging

FMT

fecal microbiota transplant

FSH

follicle-stimulating hormone

FTA

fluorescent treponemal antibody

FTA-ABS

fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (add test)

FUO

fever of unknown origin

FVC

forced vital capacity

GABA

γ-aminobutyric acid

GAD

generalized anxiety disorder

GADPH

glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase

GAF

Global Assessment of Functioning [Scale]

GCS

Glasgow Coma Scale

G-CSF

granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

GDP

guanosine diphosphate

GDS

Geriatric Depression Scale

GED

General Educational Development

GERD

gastroesophageal reflux disease

GFR

glomerular filtration rate

GH

growth hormone

GI

gastrointestinal

GIFT

gamete intrafallopian transfer

GIST

gastrointestinal stromal tumor

GLC

gas-liquid chromatography

GM-CSF

granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor

GMP

guanosine monophosphate (guanylate, guanylic acid)

GMRI

gated magnetic resonance imaging

GMT

geometric mean titer

GMT

Greenwich mean time (no need to expand)

GnRH

gonadotropin-releasing hormone (gonadorelin as diagnostic agent)

GRADE

Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation [criteria]

GU

genitourinary

GUI

graphical user interface

GVHD

graft-vs-host disease

GWA

genome-wide association

GWAS

genome-wide association study

H1N1

hemagglutinin type 1 and neuraminidase type 1

H2

histamine

HAART

highly active antiretroviral therapy

HALE

health-adjusted life expectancy

HAM-D

Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (see also HDRS)

HAV

hepatitis A virus (see 14.14.3, Virus Nomenclature, and 14.14.4, Prions)

HbA1c

hemoglobin A1c

HbCO

carboxyhemoglobin

HBO

hyperbaric oxygen

HbO2

oxyhemoglobin; oxygenated hemoglobin

HbS

sickle cell hemoglobin

HBsA

hepatitis B surface antigen (see 14.14.3, Virus Nomenclature, and 14.14.4, Prions)

HBSS

Hanks balanced salt solution

HBV

hepatitis B virus

hCG

human chorionic gonadotropin (do not abbreviate when used as a drug)

HCV

hepatitis C virus (see 14.14.3, Virus Nomenclature, and 14.14.4, Prions)

HDL

high-density lipoprotein

HDL-C

high-density lipoprotein cholesterol

HDRS

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

HEV

hepatitis E virus

HF

heart failure

hGH

human growth hormone

HHV

human herpesvirus

Hib

Haemophilus influenzae type b [vaccine or disease] (see 14.14.2, Bacteria: Additional Terminology)

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HIV

human immunodeficiency virus (no need to expand)

HL

hearing level

HLA

human leukocyte antigen (use HLA antigen; see 14.8.5, HLA/Major Histocompatibility Complex System)

HMO

health maintenance organization

HMPV

human metapneumovirus

HPF

high-power field

HPLC

high-performance liquid chromatography

HPV

human papillomavirus (add hyphen to abbreviation when indicating type, eg, HPV-6)

HR

hazard ratio

HRQOL

health-related quality of life

HRT

hormone replacement therapy

hs-CRP

high-sensitivity (or highly sensitive) C-reactive protein

hs-cTn

high-sensitivity (or highly sensitive) cardiac troponin

HSIL

high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion

HSV

herpes simplex virus

HT

hormone therapy

5-HT

Use serotonin (also 5-hydroxytryptamine)

HTLV

human T-lymphotropic virus (use arabic numeral with specific type, eg, HTLV-1)

HUS

hemolytic uremic syndrome

IADL

instrumental activities of daily living (but: 1 IADL, 6 IADLs)

IBC

institutional biosafety committee

IBS

irritable bowel syndrome

ICC

intraclass correlation coefficient

ICD

implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

ICD-9

International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision

ICD-9-CM

International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification

ICD-10

International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision

ICD-10-CM

International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification

ICSI

intracytoplasmic sperm injection

ICU

intensive care unit

ID

infective dose

IDLE

indolent lesions of epithelial origin

IDU

injecting drug user; injection drug user

ie

that is (from the Latin id est; see 11.1, Correct and Preferred Usage of Common Words and Phrases) (no need to expand)

IFN

interferon (do not abbreviate when used as a drug; see 14.4.13.5, Interferons)

Ig

immunoglobulin (abbreviate only with specification of class, eg, IgA, IgG, IgM; see 14.8.6, Immunoglobulins)

IGF-1

insulinlike growth factor 1

IL

interleukin (abbreviate only when indicating a specific protein factor, eg, IL-2) (see 14.8.4, Cytokines)

IM

intramuscular; intramuscularly

IND

investigational new drug

INDA

investigational new drug application

INR

international normalized ratio

IOP

intraocular pressure

IPA

intimate partner abuse

IPV

intimate partner violence

IQ

intelligence quotient (no need to expand)

IQR

interquartile range

IRB

institutional review board

IRIS

immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome

IRMA

immunoradiometric assay

IRS

immune reconstitution syndrome

ISBN

International Standard Book Number (no need to expand)

ISBN-A

actionable ISBN

ISG

immune serum globulin

ISSN

International Standard Serial Number (no need to expand)

ITI

intratubal insemination

ITP

idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

ITT

intent to treat; intention to treat

IUD

intrauterine device

IUGR

intrauterine growth retardation

IUI

intrauterine insemination

IV

intravenous; intravenously

IVF

in vitro fertilization

IVIG

intravenous immunoglobulin

IVP

intravenous pyelogram

IVUS

intravascular ultrasound

JCV

John Cunningham virus

JIA

juvenile idiopathic arthritis

JVP

jugular venous pulse

KUB

kidneys, ureter, bladder [plain abdominal radiograph]

KS

Kaposi sarcoma

LA

left atrium

LAD

left anterior descending coronary artery

LAO

left anterior oblique coronary artery

LASEK

laser epithelial keratomileusis

LASIK

laser in situ keratomileusis

LAV

lymphadenopathy-associated virus

LBBB

left bundle-branch block

LBP

lower back pain

LBW

low birth weight

LCA

left coronary artery

LCMV

lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

LCR

locus control region

LCX, CX

left circumflex coronary artery

LD

lethal dose

LD50

median lethal dose

LDH

lactate dehydrogenase

LDL

low-density lipoprotein

LDL-C

low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

LGA

large for gestational age

LGBT

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender

LGBTQ

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning

LGBTQAI

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), asexual (or allied), intersex

LH

luteinizing hormone

LHRH

luteinizing hormone—releasing hormone (gonadorelin as diagnostic agent)

LMIC

low- and middle-income countries

LMW

low molecular weight (usually refers to heparin, as in low-molecular-weight heparin [LMWH])

LOC

loss of consciousness

LOCF

last observation carried forward

LOD

logarithm of odds

logMAR

logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (no need to expand)

LOS

length of stay

LP

lumbar puncture

LR

likelihood ratio

LSD

lysergic acid diethylamide

LSIL

low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion

LV

left ventricle; left ventricular

LVAD

left ventricular assist device

LVEDV

left ventricular end-diastolic volume

LVEF

left ventricular ejection fraction

LVH

left ventricular hypertrophy

LVOT

left ventricular outflow tract

m-

meta- (abbreviate only in chemical formulas or names)

MAOI

monoamine oxidase inhibitor

MAP

mean arterial pressure

MAPC

multipotent adult progenitor cell

MBC

minimum bactericidal concentration

MCH

mean corpuscular hemoglobin

MCHC

mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration

MCI

mild cognitive impairment

MCV

mean corpuscular volume

MD

muscular dystrophy

MDR

multidrug-resistant

MDR-TB

multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

MEC

mean effective concentration

MEG

magnetoencephalographic magnetoencephalography

MELD

model for end-stage liver disease

MEM

minimal essential medium

MEN

multiple endocrine neoplasia (type 1: MEN-1; type 2: MEN-2; etc)

MERS

Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome

MeSH

Medical Subject Headings [of the US National Library of Medicine]

MET

metabolic equivalent task

MGUS

monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance

MHC

major histocompatibility complex

MI

mitral insufficiency; myocardial infarction

MIC

minimum inhibitory concentration

MICU

medical intensive care unit

MMPI

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

MMR

measles-mumps-rubella [vaccine]

MMSE

Mini-Mental State Examination

MODS

multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

MODY

maturity-onset diabetes of the young (use type 2 diabetes)

MOOSE

Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology

MPI

myocardial perfusion imaging

MPS

Mortality Probability Score

MRA

magnetic resonance angiography

MRI

magnetic resonance imaging

mRNA

messenger RNA

MRSA

methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

MS

mitral stenosis; multiple sclerosis

MSA

metropolitan statistical area

MSET

multistage exercise test

MSM

male-male sexual contact; men who have sex with men

MVC

motor vehicle crash

MVP

mitral valve prolapse

NACT

neoadjuvant chemotherapy

NAD

nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

NADP

nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate

NDA

new drug application

Nd:YAG

neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet [laser] (no need to expand)

NEC

necrotizing enterocolitis

NET

neuroendocrine tumor

NF

National Formulary

NICU

neonatal intensive care unit

NK

natural killer (add cells)

NKTCL

natural killer/T-cell lymphoma

NLP

natural language processing

NMN

nicotinamide mononucleotide

NNH

number needed to harm

NNI

number needed to invite

NNS

number needed to screen

NNT

number needed to treat

NOS

not otherwise specified

npo

nothing by mouth (do not use)

NPV

negative predictive value

NRT

nicotine replacement therapy

NS

not significant (see 19.0, Study Design and Statistics)

NSAID

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

NSCLC

non—small cell lung cancer

NSTE

non−ST-segment elevation

NSTEMI

non—ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

NT-proBNP

N-terminal pro—brain natriuretic peptide

o-

ortho- (abbreviate only in chemical formulas)

OC

oral contraceptive

OCD

obsessive-compulsive disorder

OCT

optical coherence tomography

OD

oculus dexter (right eye) (no need to expand)

OGTT

oral glucose tolerance test

OMIM

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (no need to expand)

OR

odds ratio

OS

oculus sinister (left eye) (no need to expand)

OSA

obstructive sleep apnea

OTC

over the counter

OU

oculus unitas (both eyes) or oculus uterque (each eye) (abbreviate only with a number)

OUD

opioid use disorder

p-

para- (abbreviate only in chemical formulas or names)

PA

pulmonary artery

PAC

premature atrial contraction; pulmonary artery catheter

PACU

postanesthesia care unit

PAD

peripheral artery disease

PaCO2

partial pressure of carbon dioxide, arterial (see 14.16, Nomenclature, Pulmonary and Respiratory Terminology) (no need to expand)

PaO2

partial pressure of oxygen, arterial (no need to expand)

PAO2

partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli

PAR

population attributable risk

PAS

periodic acid—Schiff

PAT

paroxysmal atrial tachycardia

PBS

phosphate-buffered saline

PCA

patient-controlled anesthesia

PCI

percutaneous coronary intervention

PCO2

partial pressure of carbon dioxide (no need to expand)

PCP

Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia; primary care physician

PCR

polymerase chain reaction

PCS

postconcussion syndrome

PCW

pulmonary capillary wedge [pressure]

PD

Parkinson disease, peritoneal dialysis

PDA

patent ductus arteriosus

PDF

portable document format (no need to expand)

PDR

Physicians’ Desk Reference

PE

pulmonary embolism

PEEP

positive end-expiratory pressure

PEG

percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy; pneumoencephalographic; pneumoencephalography

PEP

postexposure prophylaxis

PET

positron emission tomographic; positron emission tomography

PFGE

pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

PFS

progression-free survival

PGF

placental growth factor

pH

negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration (no need to expand)

PICC

peripherally inserted central catheter

PICU

pediatric intensive care unit; pulmonary intensive care unit

PID

pelvic inflammatory disease

PKU

phenylketonuria

PMDD

premenstrual dysphoric disorder

PMID

PubMed identifier (no need to expand)

PML

progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

PMS

premenstrual syndrome

po

orally or by mouth (do not use)

PO2

partial pressure of oxygen (no need to expand)

POAG

primary open-angle glaucoma

POR

prevalence odds ratio

PPD

purified protein derivative (tuberculin)

PPE

personal protective equipment

PPI

proton pump inhibitor

PPO

preferred provider organization

PPROM

preterm premature rupture of membranes

PPV

positive predictive value

PRA

plasma renin activity

PRC

plasma renin concentration

PrEP

preexposure prophylaxis

PRISMA

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

prn

as needed (do not use)

PROM

premature rupture of membranes

PSA

prostate-specific antigen

PSG

polysomnographic; polysomnography

PsqO2

subcutaneous tissue oxygen tension

PSRO

professional standards review organization

PSVT

paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia

PT

physical therapy; prothrombin time

PTCA

percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

PTS

posttraumatic stress

PTSD

posttraumatic stress disorder

PTT

partial thromboplastin time

PUD

peptic ulcer disease

PUFA

polyunsaturated fatty acid

PUVA

psoralen—UV-A

PVC

premature ventricular contraction

PVR

peripheral vascular resistance; pulmonary vascular resistance

PVS

persistent vegetative state

QA

quality assurance

QALE

quality-adjusted life expectancy

QALY

quality-adjusted life-year

QC

quality control

QCA

quantitative coronary angiography

qd

every day (do not use)

qh

each hour (do not use)

QI

quality improvement

qid

four times a day (do not use)

qod

every other day (do not use)

QOL

quality of life

qSOFA

quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment

QUOROM

Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses

RA

rheumatoid arthritis

RAST

radioallergosorbent test

RBBB

right bundle-branch block

RBC

red blood cell

RBRVS

resource-based relative value scale

RCA

right coronary artery

RCT

randomized clinical trial

RDA

recommended daily allowance; recommended dietary allowance

RDC

Research Diagnostic Criteria

rDNA

ribosomal DNA

RDoC

Research Domain Criteria

RDS

respiratory distress syndrome

REM

rapid eye movement

RFLP

restriction fragment length polymorphism

RFP

radiofrequency pulse

RFS

recurrence-free survival

rh

recombinant human

Rh

rhesus (of, related to, or being an Rh antibody, blood group, or factor) (no need to expand)

rhNGF

recombinant human nerve growth factor

RIA

radioimmunoassay

RIND

reversible ischemic neurological deficit

RNA

ribonucleic acid (no need to expand)

RNAi

RNA interference

ROC

receiver operating characteristic [curve]

ROM

read-only memory (no need to expand)

ROP

retinopathy of prematurity

RPR

rapid plasma reagin

RR

relative risk; risk ratio

RSV

respiratory syncytial virus

RT

radiation therapy; radiotherapy

RT-PCR

reverse transcriptase—polymerase chain reaction

RV

right ventricle; right ventricular

RVEF

right ventricular ejection fraction

RVOT

right ventricular outflow tract

SAD

seasonal affective disorder

SADS

Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia; sudden arrhythmic death syndrome

SAE

serious adverse event

SAH

subarachnoid hemorrhage

SAPS

Simplified Acute Physiology Score

SARS

severe acute respiratory syndrome

SAS

Statistical Analysis System (no need to expand)

SCID

severe combined immunodeficiency; Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (use with DSM edition number)

SD

standard deviation (no need to expand)

SE

standard error (no need to expand)

SEER

Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results

SEM

standard error of the mean (no need to expand)

SEM

scanning electron microscope; systolic ejection murmur

SES

socioeconomic status

SF-36

36-Item Short Form Health Survey

SGA

small for gestational age

SGML

standardized general markup language (no need to expand)

SGOT

serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (use aspartate aminotransferase)

SGPT

serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (use alanine aminotransferase)

SIADH

syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion

SICU

surgical intensive care unit

SIDS

sudden infant death syndrome

SIL

squamous intraepithelial lesion

SIP

Sickness Impact Profile

siRNA

small interfering RNA

SIRS

systemic inflammatory response syndrome

SLE

systemic lupus erythematosus

SLN

sentinel lymph node

SNP

single-nucleotide polymorphism (Note: Prefer SNV; see 14.6.1.1.1, Sequence Variations, Nucleotides.)

SNV

single-nucleotide variant

SOB

shortness of breath

SOFA

sequential organ failure assessment

SPECT

single-photon emission computed tomography

SPF

sun protection factor

SPIRIT

Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials

SPSS

Statistical Product and Service Solutions (formerly Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) (no need to expand)

SQUIRE

Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence

SRQR

Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research

SSC

standard saline citrate (no need to expand)

SSPE

sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, EDTA [buffer] (no need to expand)

SSPE

subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

SSRI

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

STARD

Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy

STD

sexually transmitted disease

STEM

science, technology, engineering, and math (or medicine)

STEMI

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

STI

sexually transmitted infection; structured treatment interruption

STM

science, technology, and medicine

STREGA

Strengthening the Reporting of Genetic Association Studies

STROBE

Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology

SUD

substance use disorder

SUN

serum urea nitrogen

SUV

standardized uptake value

SVR

systemic vascular resistance

t1/2

half-life

T3

triiodothyronine

T4

thyroxine

TAH

total abdominal hysterectomy

TAHBSO

total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy

TAT

Thematic Apperception Test

TB

tuberculosis

TBI

traumatic brain injury

TBSA

total body surface area

TCA

tricyclic antidepressant

TCD50

median tissue culture dose

TDR-TB

totally drug-resistant tuberculosis

TE

echo time

THA

total hip arthroplasty

THR

total hip replacement

TI

inversion time

TIA

transient ischemic attack

TIBC

total iron-binding capacity

tid

three times a day (do not use)

TIL

tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte

TKR

total knee replacement

TLC

thin-layer chromatography; total lung capacity

TMJ

temporomandibular joint

TNF

tumor necrosis factor

TNM

tumor, node, metastasis (see 14.2.2, The

TNM

Staging System) (no need to expand)

TnT

troponin T

tPA

tissue plasminogen activator

TPN

total parenteral nutrition

TQM

total quality management

TR

repetition time

TRH

thyrotropin-releasing hormone (protirelin as diagnostic agent)

TRIPOD

Transparent Reporting of a Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis

tRNA

transfer RNA

TRP

tyrosine-related protein

TRUS

transrectal ultrasound

TSH

Use thyrotropin (previously thyroid-stimulating hormone)

TSS

toxic shock syndrome; toxic streptococcal syndrome

TTP

thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

TUD

tobacco use disorder

TUNEL

terminal deoxynucleotidal transferase—mediated biotin—deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (use abbreviation first, with expansion immediately following in parentheses)

UHF

ultrahigh frequency

ul

uniformly labeled (use without expansion in parentheses; see 14.9.5, Isotopes, Uniform Labeling)

ULN

upper limit of normal

UNOS

United Network for Organ Sharing

URI

uniform resource identifier (no need to expand)

URL

uniform resource locator (no need to expand)

URN

uniform resource name (no need to expand)

URTI

upper respiratory tract infection

US

ultrasonography; ultrasound

USAN

United States Adopted Names

USP

United States Pharmacopeia

UTI

urinary tract infection

UV

ultraviolet (no need to expand)

UV-A

ultraviolet A (no need to expand)

UV-B

ultraviolet B (no need to expand)

UV-C

ultraviolet C (no need to expand)

VA

visual acuity

VAD

ventricular assist device

VAIN

vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia

VAP

ventilator-associated pneumonia

VAS

visual analog scale

VBAC

vaginal birth after cesarean

vCJD

variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

VDRL

Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (add test) (no need to expand)

VEGF

vascular endothelial growth factor

VEP

visual evoked potential

VER

visual evoked response

VF

ventricular fibrillation

VHDL

very high-density lipoprotein

VHF

very high frequency; viral hemorrhagic fever

VLBW

very low birth weight

VLDL

very low-density lipoprotein

V.O2

oxygen consumption per unit time

V.O2max

maximum oxygen consumption

VPB

ventricular premature beat

V./Q̇

ventilation-perfusion [ratio or scan]

VRE

vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus

vs

versus (use v for legal references; see 3.16,

US

Legal References) (do not expand)

VSD

ventricular septal defect

VT

ventricular tachycardia

VTE

venous thromboembolism

VZV

varicella zoster virus

WAIS

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

WBC

white blood cell

WEE

western equine encephalomyelitis

WISC-V

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

XDR-TB

extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis

XML

extensible markup language (no need to expand)

XMRV

xenotropic murine leukemia virus—related virus

YLD

years living with disability

YPLL

years of potential life lost

ZES

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome

ZIFT

zygote intrafallopian transfer

zip

Zone Improvement Plan (do not expand: zip code)