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 |
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) |