40 common medical acronyms and abbreviations
- ALS: advanced life support
- AKI: acute kidney injury
- AML/ALL/CML/CLL: acute/chronic myeloid/lymphatic leukaemia
- BMI: body mass index
- BP: blood pressure
- CCU: coronary care unit
- CKD: chronic kidney disease
- CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- C-spine: cervical spine (as in x-ray of)
- DNR: do not resuscitate
- ED/ER: emergency department/emergency room
- ECG: electrocardiogram
- GCS: Glasgow coma scale
- Gluc: glucose (sugar)
- GP: general practitioner
- Hb: haemoglobin
- HDL: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aka ‘good’ cholesterol
- HDU: high dependency unit
- HR: reart rate, written in beats per minute (bpm)
- ICU: intensive care unit
- LFTs: liver function tests (or better, liver enzymes)
- IHD: ischaemic heart disease
- LDL: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aka ‘bad’ cholesterol
- MDU: medical decision unit – also called AMU (acute medical unit), acute assessment unit (AAU) and clinical decisions unit (CDU)
- MI: myocardial infarction (STEMI and NSTEMI types)
- NICU: neonatal intensive care unit
- OR: operating room (for surgery)
- ODP: operating department practioner
- OT: occupational therapy
- PCI: percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (minimally invasive procedure to open blocked coronary (heart) arteries)
- Physio: physiotherapy
- Pre-op: preoperative (before an operation)
- Psych: refers to psychiatry
- Rx: prescription (medication)
- SALT: speech and language therapist
- Stat: immediately
- Theatre: operating theatre
- Trig: triglycerides (similar to cholesterol)
- U+E: urea and electrolytes (v common blood test, measuring kidney function and minerals in blood)
- WC: white count.
Some other medical acronyms and abbreviations
- AAA: Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- ACS: Acute coronary syndrome
- AF: Atrial fibrillation
- ASD: Atrial septal defect
- BCC: Basal cell carcinoma
- BPH: Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- CABG: Coronary artery bypass graft
- COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- CF: Cystic fibrosis
- DVT: Deep vein thrombosis
- ESRD/ESRF: End-stage renal disease/End-stage renal failure
- GORD: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
- HOCM: Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
- IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease
- IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome
- MS: Multiple sclerosis
- NSTEMI: Non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
- OA: Osteoarthritis
- OGD: Oesophagogastro-duodenoscopy (endoscopy)
- Op: Operation
- PE: Pulmonary embolism
- PID: Pelvic inflammatory disease
- PCOS: Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- PVD: Peripheral vascular disease
- RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
- SCC: Squamous cell carcinoma
- STEMI: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
Other resources
40 common medical prefixes and suffixes
30 common medical terms
20 common diseases named after people (eponyms)
Last Reviewed on 24 May 2024