Medical abbreviations A

Abbreviation		Meaning
Sortable table
Abbreviation		Meaning
ā		(a with a bar over it) before (from Latin ante) before
A		adenosine apical
a.a.		of each (from Latin ana ana) amino acids: ·         A or Ala – alanine ·         C or Cys – cysteine ·         D or Asp – aspartic acid ·         E or Glu – glutamic acid ·         F or Phe – phenylalanine ·         H or His – histidine ·         I or Ile – isoleucine ·         K or Lys – lysine ·         L or Leu – leucine ·         M or Met – methionine ·         N or Asn – asparagine ·         O or Pyl – pyrrolysine ·         P or Pro – proline ·         Q or Gln – glutamine ·         R or Arg – arginine ·         S or Ser – serine ·         T or Thr – threonine ·         U or Sec – selenocysteine ·         V or Val – valine ·         W or Trp – tryptophan ·         Y or Tyr – tyrosine
A1C		glycosylated hemoglobin (hemoglobin A1c)
Aa.		arteria, see Artery
AAA		abdominal aortic aneurysm (pronounced "triple-A")
AAD		antibiotic-associated diarrhea
AAI		acute arterial insufficiency
AAPMC		antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis
AAT		activity as tolerated atypical antibody test
AAL		anterior axillary line
AAOx3		awake, alert, and oriented, times 3 (i.e., to person, place, and time)
A/B		acid-base ratio
ab		abdomen, abdominal abortion
Ab		antibody
AB		abortion
ABC		airway, breathing, circulation aspiration biopsy cytology
ABCD		airway, breathing, circulation, disability asymmetry, borders, color, diameter (features on considering "Is it a malignant melanoma?") ABCD rating (a staging system for prostate cancer)
ABCs ABCDs ABCDEs		airway, breathing, circulation, etc. Refers to priority of needs in emergency situations. Exact spell-out and details after "C" vary by institution, but the "ABCs" theme is recurrent.
ACA		acinic cell carcinoma Affordable Care Act
Abd		abdomen abdominal[abduction]
ABD		army battle dressing
ABE		acute bacterial endocarditis
ABG		arterial blood gas
ABI		acquired brain injury ankle brachial pressure index
ABMT		autologous bone marrow transplantation
Abn		abnormal
ABO		Landsteiner's blood grouping system
ABPA		allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis
ABPI		ankle brachial pressure index
ABVD		Doxorubicin (adriamycin), bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (first-line treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma)
ABX		antibiotics
a.c. AC		before a meal (from Latin ante cibum)
AC		abdominal circumference assisted controlled ventilation acromioclavicular joint
ACB		aortocoronary bypass
AC&BC		air conduction and bone conduction, as in Weber test
Acc		accommodation (eye)
ACCU		acute coronary care unit
ACD		anemia of chronic disease
ACDF		anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
Ace		acetone
ACE		angiotensin-converting enzyme
ACEI		angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(s)
ACh		acetylcholine
AChE		acetylcholine esterase
ACL		anterior cruciate ligament
ACLS		advanced cardiac life support
ACS		altered conscious state acute coronary syndrome acute chest syndrome
ACTH		adrenocorticotropic hormone
ACP		Advance care planning
ACPO		acute colonic pseudo-obstruction
ACU		ambulatory care unit
ad.		right ear (from Latin auris dexter)
AD		Alzheimer's disease acute distress right ear (from Latin auris dexter) as directed
ADA		adenosine deaminase American Dental Association
ADC		AIDS dementia complex
ADCC		antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity
ADD		attention deficit disorder
ADH		antidiuretic hormone
ADHD		attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
ADHF		acute decompensated heart failure
ADHR		autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets
ADLs		activities of daily living
ad lib		as desired (from Latin ad libitum)
adm		admission
Adn		adnexae (for example, adnexae of the uterus)
ADP		adenosine diphosphate
ad part. dolent		to the painful parts (from Latin ad partes dolentes)
ADR		adverse drug reaction
AEB		as evidenced by (commonly used by nurses)
AED		automated external defibrillator antiepileptic drug(s)
AEM		ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring
AF		atrial fibrillation atrial flutter amniotic fluid
AF-AFP		amniotic fluid alpha fetoprotein
AFB		acid-fast bacilli
AFI		amniotic fluid index
AFib		atrial fibrillation
AFL		atrial flutter
AFNTR		acute febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reaction
AFO		ankle-foot orthosis
AFP		alpha-fetoprotein
AFSOF		anterior fontanelle soft, open, flat
Ag		antigen
AGA		anti-gliadin antibodies appropriate gestational age (see birth weight)
AGC		atypical glandular cells
AGES criteria		age, grade, extent, size (for tumors)
AGN		acute glomerulonephritis
AH		auditory hallucinations
a.h.		every other hour (from Latin alternis horis)
AHD		arteriosclerotic heart disease
AHF		antihemophilic factor
AHG		antihemophilic globulin
AHH		aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase
AHR		airway hyper-reactivity
AHT		antihyaluronic acid test
AI		artificial insemination aortic insufficiency
AICD		automated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
AID		artificial insemination by donor
AIDS		acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AIH		artificial insemination by husband
AIHD		artificial insemination by pooled husband and donor semen
AIPD		acute infectious and parasitical diseases autoimmune progesterone dermatitis acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
AIIRB		angiotensin II receptor antagonist
AIN		allergic interstitial nephritis
AIR		anterior interval release acute inpatient rehabilitation
AIS		adenocarcinoma in situ androgen insensitivity syndrome
AK		acanthamoeba keratitis
aka		also known as
AKA		above-knee amputation also known as
ALA		aminolevulinic acid
Alc		alcohol
ALCAPA		anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery
ALF		assisted living facility
ALG		antilymphocytic globulin
ALI		acute limb injury acute lung injury
Alk phos		alkaline phosphatase (sometimes abbreviated as ALP)
ALL		acute lymphoblastic leukemia allergies
ALP		alkaline phosphatase (sometimes abbreviated as Alk phos)
ALPS		autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome
ALS		amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as motor neurone disease ('MND), Lou Gehrig's disease or Charcot disease advanced life support
ALT		alanine transaminase
altern. d.		every other day (from Latin alterno die)
AMA		advanced maternal age (often defined as 35 years or greater) against medical advice antimitochondrial antibody American Medical Association
Amb		ambulate
AMC		arthrogryposis multiplex congenita
AMI		acute mesenteric ischemia acute myocardial infarction
AML		acute myeloid leukemia
AMO		advanced medical optics
AMP		adenosine monophosphate
Amp		ampule ampere
AMPA receptor		alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor of the brain
AMS		acute mountain sickness atypical measles syndrome altered mental status
Amt		amount
ANA		antinuclear antibody
ANCA		antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody
ANDI		aberrations of normal development and involution (of breast)
ANF		atrial natriuretic factor
ANP		atrial natriuretic peptide
ANS		autonomic nervous system
Ant		anterior
Anti-		refers to an antibody to the suffixed antigen
ANTR		asymmetrical tonic neck reflex
ANUG		acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis
A&O or A/O		aware and oriented or alert and oriented
A&Ox3		alert and oriented, times 3 (to person, place, and time)
A&Ox4		alert and oriented, times 4 (to person, place, time, and circumstances) (often used interchangeably with A&Ox3)
AODM		adult-onset diabetes mellitus (now called diabetes mellitus type 2)
AOM		acute otitis media
a.p.		before a meal (from Latin ante prandium)
AP		alkaline phosphatase anteroposterior angina pectoris action potential angina pectoris area postrema
A&P		auscultation and percussion anatomy and physiology
A/P		anatomy and physiology assessment and plan]]
APACHE II		Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II
APAP		paracetamol (aka acetaminophen) (from its chemical name, N-acetyl-para-aminophenol) automatic positive airway pressure
APC		atrial premature contraction antigen-presenting cell activated protein C
APD		adult polycystic disease automated peritoneal dialysis
APKD		adult polycystic kidney disease
APECED		autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy
APGAR		appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, respiration (used to assess newborns)
APH		antepartum haemorrhage
APLS		antiphospholipid syndrome
APMPPE		acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy
applic.		applicandus (Latin meaning "to be applied")
appy		appendectomy
APP		as per protocol (e.g., per institutional clinical protocol or per scientific protocol)
APR		abdominoperineal resection
APS		autoimmune polyendocrine/polyglandular syndrome antiphospholipid syndrome
APSAC		anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex
aPTT		activated partial thromboplastin time
aq.		water (from Latin aqua)
aq. bull.		boiling water (from Latin aqua bulliens)
aq. calid.		warm or hot water (from Latin aqua calida)
aq. dist.		distilled water (from Latin aqua distillata)
aq. gel.		cold water (from Latin aqua gelida)
AR		aortic regurgitation attributable risk
ARB		angiotensin II receptor antagonist
ARBI		alcohol-related brain injury (such as a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or alcohol-related dementia)
ARC		AIDS-related complex
ARD		absolute risk difference alcohol-related dementia
ARDS		acute respiratory distress syndrome
ARF		acute renal failure
Arg		arginine
ARM		artificial rupture of membranes (also abbreviated as AROM)
ARMD		age-related macular degeneration
ARMS		alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma
AROM		active range of motion artificial rupture of membranes
ART		antiretroviral therapy assuming room temperature (that is, the patient has died) assisted reproductive technology
ARVC		arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
ARVD		arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
AS		aortic stenosis atherosclerosis ankylosing spondylitis
ASA		acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) American Society of Anesthesiologists (physical status class)
ASAP		as soon as possible
ASB		asymptomatic bacteriuria
ASC		ambulatory surgery center atypical squamous cells
ASCA		anti–Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies
ASC-H		atypical squamous cells—cannot exclude HSIL
ASCAD		arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease
ASCUS ASC-US		atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance
ASCVD		arteriosclerotic vascular disease (arteriosclerosis)
ASD		atrial septal defect
ASGUS		atypical squamous glandular cells of undetermined significance
ASH ASHD		arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary heart disease)
ASH		alcoholic steatohepatitis
ASIS		anterior superior iliac spine
ASO		antistreptolysin-O
ASOT		antistreptolysin-O titre
ASPECTS		Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score
Ass		assessment
AST		aspartate transaminase
ASX		asymptomatic
A-T		ataxia-telangiectasia
AT		antithrombin angiotensin
AT-III		antithrombin III
ATA		antitransglutaminase antibodies
ATB		antibiotic
ATCC		ATCC (company) (formerly the American Type Culture Collection)
ATG		anti-thymocyte globulin
ATLS		Advanced trauma life support
ATN		acute tubular necrosis
ATNR		asymmetrical tonic neck reflex
ATP		acute thrombocytopenic purpura adenosine triphosphate antitachycardia pacing
Atp		atypical
ATRA		all-trans retinoic acid
ATS		antitetanus serum, that is, antitetanus immunoglobulins
AUC		area under the curve (pharmacology)
aur.		ear (from Latin auris)
aur. dextro.		to right ear (from Latin auris dextrae)
aur. laev		to left ear (from Latin auris laevae)
aurist.		ear drops (from Latin auristillae)
AV		arteriovenous atrioventricular
AVF		arteriovenous fistula
AVM		arteriovenous malformation
AVN		avascular necrosis atrioventricular node
AVR		aortic valve replacement
AVSS		Afebrile, vital signs stable
A&W A/W		alive and well
Ax		axillary
AXR		abdominal x-ray
AYA		adolescents and young adults
AZT		azidothymidine
Δ		diagnosis; change
ΔΔ		differential diagnosis (the list of possible diagnoses, and the effort to narrow that list)
#		fracture
#NOF		fracture to the neck of the femur
℞		(R with crossed tail) prescription
Ψ		psychiatry
Σ		sigmoidoscopy
x/12		x number of months
x/40		x number of weeks of pregnancy
x/52		x number of weeks
x/7		x number of days
18F-FDG		18F-fluordeoxygluco
2°		secondary
2/2		secondary to
3TC		lamivudine
5-FU		5-fluorouracil
5-HIAA		5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid
5-HT		5-hydroxytryptamine, that is, serotonin
6MP		6-mercaptopurine
↑		increased
↓		decreased
→		yields, becomes