Preferred Clinical Abbreviation List

Release 5 (17 June 2018)

Preferred Clinical Abbreviation List
17 June 2018 v5

Introduction

Abbreviations have a long tradition in medicine and used correctly can assist in the rapid
communication of information about a patient. However, since some abbreviations can have
multiple meanings, or are only used regularly within one speciality, using them can represent a
hazard to the patient if the abbreviation is misinterpreted.

Whilst writing information in full will always be preferred as the best way to avoid ambiguity, it is
accepted that they are commonly used in medical communications.

As a means of promoting the accurate transfer of information between professionals and striking
a practical balance, this document acts as a list of approved abbreviations which can be used in
interagency communications. It will also provide patients with a dictionary of medical
abbreviations helping them to understand medical records and correspondence.

The most obvious use of such a directory will be the transfer of information between primary and
secondary care. However, it is also useful for writing patient notes to assist trainees, locums and
other specialities, or when primary care notes are transferred between practices as patients
move.

Abbreviations not included in this document should be written in full in correspondence between
agencies.

Dr Jonathan Harness
On behalf of Newcastle Gateshead Information Network.

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 2 of 12

Abbreviation Translation
/7 Days
/52 Weeks
/40 Weeks Gestation
/12 Months
+ / ++ / +++ Present or Noted / Present Significantly / Present in Excess
= Equivalent to
AAA Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
ABG Arterial Blood Gas also "Sats"
ACC Ambulatory Care Clinic (Gateshead)
ACEI Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitor
ACL Anterior Cruciate Ligament
ADRT Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment
A/E Air Entry to Lungs
A&E Accident and Emergency (phasing out in favour of Emergency Dept)
AF Atrial Fibrillation
AFP Alpha Fetaprotein
ALL / AML Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia / Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
ARB Angiotensin Receptor Blocker
ASD Atrial Septal Defect
AXR Abdominal X-Ray
bd/bid Twice a Day
BCC Basal Cell Carcinoma
BFZ Bendroflumethiazide
BMI Body Mass Index
BNO Bowels Not Opened
BO Bowels Open
BP Blood Pressure
DBP Diastolic Blood Pressure
SBP Systolic Blood Pressure
CABG/S or CAG/S Coronary Artery (Bypass) Graft/Surgery
CCB Calcium Channel Blocker
CFS Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
(CHD) (Coronary Heart Disease – Ischaemic Heart Disease preferred)
CNS Central Nervous System
C/o Complains of
(COAD) Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (COPD preferred)
COCP Combined Oral Contraceptive
COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Cr Creatinine

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CSU Catheter specimen of urine
CT Computerised Axial Tomography
CTG Cardiotocograph
CVA Cerebrovascular Accident
CVD Cardiovascular Disease
CVS Cardiovascular System
CXR Chest X-ray
D&V Diarrhoea and Vomiting
D/H Drug History
DIP, PIP Dorsal/proximal interphalangeal joints
DLE Discoid Lupus Erythematosus
DM Diabetes Mellitus
DNA Did Not Attend
DNAR Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (Sometimes written as DNACPR)
DVT Deep Vein Thrombosis
EAU Emergency Assessment Unit
ECC Emergency Care Centre (Gateshead)
ECG Electrocardiograph
EEG Electroencephalogram
EMG Electromyography
ENT Ear, Nose & Throat
EPAU Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit
ERCP Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
ERPC Evacuation of Retained Products of Conception
ESR Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
FBC Full Blood Count
FBG Fasting Blood Glucose
F/H or FH Family History
FHH/R Foetal Heart Heard/Regular
FRH Freeman Road Hospital
FROM Full Range of Movement
FTND Full Term Normal Delivery
GCS Glasgow Coma Scale
GI or GIT Gastro Intestinal/Tract
GORD Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease
GTN Glyceryl Trinitrate
GUT or GUS Genito Urinary Tract/ System
GUM Genito-Urinary Medicine
HAV/ HBV / HCV /
Hepatitis [A, B, C, D or E] Virus. (Hep A, Hep B etc is sometimes used)
HDV / HEV

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 4 of 12

Hb Haemoglobin
HI Head Injury
HL / NHL Hodgkins Lymphoma / Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
HNPU Has Not Passed Urine
HR Heart Rate
HS Heart Sounds
Ht Height
Hx History (of complaint)
IBD Inflammatory Bowel Disease
IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome
ICD Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (or Internal Cardiac Defibrillator)
IGT Impaired Glucose Tolerance
IGTN In Growing Toenail
IHD Ischaemic Heart Disease
IMB Intermenstrual Bleeding
IOP Intra-ocular Pressure
ITP Idiopathic Thrombocytopaenia Purpura
IUCD Intra-uterine contraceptive device
IUD Intra-uterine death
IUS Intra-uterine system
IVP Intravenous Pyelogram
Ix Investigations
JVP Jugular Venous Pressure
K+ Potassium
KUB Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder (xray)
LAD Left Anterior Descending Artery (of heart)
LBBB Left Bundle Branch Block
LFT Liver Function Test
LIF Left Iliac Fossa
LIH Left Inguinal Hernia
LOC Loss of Consciousness
LN Lymph Node
LP Lumbar puncture
L/R/ IH Left or Right Inguinal Hernia
LSCS Lower (Uterine) Segment Caesarean section
LUQ Left Upper Quadrant
LVDD Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction
LVSD Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction
Mane In the Morning
MAU Medical Admissions Unit (for Gateshead EAU now used)

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 5 of 12

MCV Mean Corpuscular Volume
MDS Myelodysplastic Syndrome
MDT Multi-disciplinary Team
ME Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome preferred)
MET/S Metastases
MI Myocardial infarction (NSTEMI or STEMI preferred)
MPD Myeloproliferative Disorder (sometimes written MPN)
MRCP Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography
MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MS Multiple Sclerosis (Write in full: Mitral Stenosis)
MSK Musculo-Skeletal System
MSE Mental State Examination
MSU Mid-Stream Urine Sample (for culture and sensitivity)
MTX Methotrexate
Na+ Sodium
NAD Nothing Abnormal Discovered
NBI No Bone Injury
Nocte At Night
NSTEMI Non ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction
N&V Nausea & Vomiting
NVD Normal Vaginal Delivery
O2 Oxygen
OA Osteoarthritis
o.d. Once a Day
O/E On Examination
OGD Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy
OGTT Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
on At Night (when written next to medication dosing only)
om In the Morning (when written next to medication dosing only)
OM Otitis Media
ORIF Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (of fracture)
otc Over the counter (bought medication)
P Pulse
PAD Peripheral Arterial Disease
PBC Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
PCB Post Coital Bleeding
PCI Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
PE Pulmonary Embolism
PEG Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy
PERLA Pupils equal and reacting to light and accommodation

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 6 of 12

PF / PEFR Peak Flow / peak expiratory flow rate
Plt Platelets
PM Post mortem examination
PMB Post Menopausal Bleeding
PMH also PHx Previous Medical History
PMR Polymyalgia Rheumatica
PND Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnoea
PO Per Orim (by mouth)
POP Progesterone Only Pill
PR Per Rectum
PRN As Required
PSC Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
PTCA Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
PTSD Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PU Peptic Ulcer OR Passed urine
PRV Polycythaemia Rubra Vera
PV Per Vagina
(PVD) Peripheral Vascular Disease (peripheral arterial disease preferred)
qds (or) qid Four times a day
QEH Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Resp / RR Respiration (Rate)
RA Rheumatoid Arthritis
RBBB Right Bundle Branch Block
RCA Right Coronary Artery (of the heart)
RDS Respiratory Distress Syndrome
RIF Right Iliac Fossa
RIH Right Inguinal Hernia
R/LIF Right/Left Iliacfossa
RS Respiratory System
RSI Repetitive Strain Injury
Road Traffic Accident (write renal tubular acidosis in full) Note that whilst
(RTA)
Road traffic accident is in common use, RTC is the preferred term.
RTC Road Traffic Crash
RUQ Right Upper Quadrant
RVI Royal Victoria Infirmary
Rx Prescription or Treatment
SBG Serum Blood Glucose
SLR Straight Leg Raising
SMR Submucosal Resection
SOB Short of Breath

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SR Sinus rhythm
SRH Sunderland Royal Hospital
Stat Immediately
STD Sexually Transmitted Disease
STEMI ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction
STI Sexually Transmitted Infection
SVD Spontaneous Vertex Delivery
Sx Symptoms
SkXR Skull X-ray
T Temperature
TAH ± BSO Total Abdominal Hysterectomy ± Bilateral Salpingo-oophorectomy
TATT Tired all the Time
TB Tuberculosis
TCI To come in-date or fact that a person is due to be admitted to hospital
tds (or) tid Three Times a Day
TFTs Thyroid Function Test
THR Total Hip Replacement
TIA Transient Ischaemic Attack
TKR Total Knee Replacement
TM Tympanic Membrane
TOP (MTOP/STOP) Termination of pregnancy (Medical ~ / Surgical~)
TShR Total Shoulder Replacement
TURP/T Transurethral resection of Prostate / (Bladder) Tumour
UC Ulcerative Colitis
U&Es Urea and Electrolytes
UHND University Hospital of North Durham
USS Ultra Sound Scan
UTI Urinary Tract Infection
VF Ventricular Fibrillation
VSD Ventricular Septal Defect
VT Ventricular Tachycardia
VTE Venous Thromboembolism
wbc White Blood Cell Count
Wd Ward
Wt Weight
NON-PREFERRED ABBREVIATION LIST
Fracture. May be written on hand written discharge letters. However,
# should not be used in electronic correspondence. (Depending on settings
may display either as # or as £)
Ambiguous: could refer to Aortic Regurgitation or Aortic valve
AR
replacement. Write in full

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 8 of 12

 Ambiguous: could refer to Abdominal System or Aortic Stenosis. Write in
AS
full
BS Ambiguous: could refer to Bowel sounds or breath sounds. Write in full.
Ca Ambiguous: could refer to Carcinoma or calcium. Write in full
Congestive cardiac (heart) failure. Use of more precise LVSD / LVDD is
CCF / CHF / HF
preferred. If diagnosis uncertain, CCF may be used.
Ambiguous: could refer to cervix, cervical spine or circumflex artery. Write
Cx
in full
Ambiguous: could refer to Erectile Dysfunction or Emergency Department.
ED
Write in full
Ambiguous: could refer to Endotrachael (tube) or Essential
ET
Thrombocytopaenia. Write in full
GU Ambiguous: could refer to Genito-urinary or Gastric ulcer. Write in full
Ambiguous: could refer to Mitral incompetence or Myocardial infarction.
However, MI in regular use by all specialities, so may be used for
MI
Myocardial Infarction. Ideally write in full or use STEMI or NSTEMI, and
write Mitral Incompetence
Ambiguous: could refer to Multiple Sclerosis or Mitral Stenosis. However,
MS MS is widely used by public for Multiple Sclerosis. Therefore, accepted for
use as multiple sclerosis. Mitral stenosis should be written in full.
Ambiguous. Could refer to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease OR
PID
Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc. Write in full
Ambiguous could refer to Renal (Kidney) Function tests OR
RFT
Respiratory Function tests. Write in full
R/L Right and left should be written in full
Ambiguous: could refer to soft tissue injury OR sexually transmitted
STI illness. Use NBI for non-bony injury and STD for sexually transmitted
disease.
Ambiguous: could refer to vaginal examination or ventricular ectopic.
VE
Should be written in full in all correspondence.

CANCER REGIMES
It is accepted that cancer regimes are cumbersome to write in full. Whilst a
standard for understanding the nomenclature exists (maintained by TRUD), it is
meaningless to anyone not involved in the delivery of cancer care.

Therefore, it is recommended that where regimes are added to correspondence,

it is made clear that the abbreviation is a chemotherapy regime.

UNITS OF MEASURE
km / m / cm / mm kilometre / metre / centimetre / millimetre
kg / g / mg / microg /pg Kilogramme / gramme / milligramme / microgramme /
picogramme
note: μg or mcg are not approved
L / mL / microL / pL Litre / millilitre / microlitre / picolitre
Note: μL is not approved

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 9 of 12

mmHg for measurement of blood pressure
units international units. Do not write iu.

Except to record what patients have reported, imperial measurements should not
be used:
ft / in / st / lb / oz Feet / inches / stones / pounds / ounces
note: ‘miles' should be written in full

COMMENT ON DATE / TIME FORMATS

Ideally time should be written in a 24 hour format with colon’s separating the
units. Hours and minutes must always been included; seconds may be excluded
where not required. If time is written in a 12 hour format, AM or PM must also be
included.

Eg: 14:25 or 14:25:02 Less preferred: 2:25PM

Overnight on days the clock changes, 24 hour format must be used with either
BST or GMT appended to avoid ambiguity

Eg 02:25GMT or 03:15BST

Date should be written in the format of day/month/year; the year in 4 digit format:

Eg 20 February 2014 or 20/02/2014

Acknowledgements: the abbreviations list is based in part on the RCGP abbreviation list.
However, variations have been made to reflect local use (both to remove and add abbreviations.)

Preferred Abbreviation List

Date of Publication: 17 June 2018
Version: 5.0
Author: Dr Jonathan Harness
Review Due: 17 June 2020

Version Control
Release 5 – 17 June 2018
Reviewed applicability of current abbreviations
Added version control to page footers.
Amendments
 ADRT – Advanced Decision to Refuse Treatment Added

Release 4 – 27 February 2014

Amendments:
 PMB – corrected to Post menopausal bleeding
 ERPC added
 PEG added
 UHND added

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 10 of 12

  MDT added
 ECC, ACC and EAU added (for Gateshead)
 ALL, AML, HL/NHL, MDS, MPD, MDS, ITP PVR Added
 DXT removed – not commonly used
 ET added to ambiguous list

Release 3
Amendments
 TAH ± BSO added
 NVD Added
 PVD bracketed – Peripheral arterial disease preferred term
 Fracture. May be written on hand written discharge letters. However, should not be used
in [“EMIS” changed to “electronic correspondence”]. (Depending on settings may display
either as # or as £)

Rejected requests for addition: LAVH (laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy); VH

(vaginal hysterectomy); TVT (Tension Free Vaginal Tape); TLH (Total laparoscopic hysterectomy);
TLRH (total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy)

Release 2

Amendments [v2.1]
 PMR added

Amendments [v2.0]
 IBD & IBS – corrected
 Cx removed and added to non-preferred list since ambiguous
 PBS added
 AFP added
 EMG added
 MRCP added
 ERCP added
 VSD added
 LBBB / RBBB added
 PCI added
 GTN added
 Comment regarding date / time format added
 O2 added
 HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV added
 LAD and RCA added

Rejected requests for addition:

 CRT-P, CRT-D (CARDIAC RESYNCHRONISATION THERAPY- PACING,

DEFIBRILLATOR),
 LVIDS, LVIDD, IVS, RA/LA, IAS, PAP, PASP, TAPSE, NSVT, RVOT, PFO, TGA
 NCS (nerve conduction studies)

It is recognised that these abbreviations are probably in common use within the speciality, it was
felt would not be commonly recognised outside; therefore, for correspondence, these should be
written in full.

Release 1 – 13 February 2013

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 11 of 12

Amendments [v1.2] (following consultation with GPs and QEH):
 AS removed felt to be too ambiguous
 MCL removed felt not to be in common use
 mmHG changed to mmHg
 Ca removed felt to be too ambiguous
 Cr added
 Na+ added
 K+ added
 Plt added
 VTE added
 AoR removed: felt to be too ambiguous
 AMI changed to MI

Amendments [v1.4]:
 IOP Intraocular pressure added

Amendments [v1.5]
 Front page added, amendment to introduction

Amendments [v1.6]
 RTC added and note added to RTA that RTC is preferred term
 ED added to non-preferred list since ambiguous
 SRI amended to SRH
 CTG added
 TOP amended with MTOP and STOP qualifiers
 IBD added

© 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group. This
document may be freely distributed and copied within the NHS. It may not be used for non-NHS
or commercial purposes without prior written consent.

Cover photo: © 2012 J Harness

Preferred Abbreviation List v5 (17 June 2016) Page 12 of 12