ABBREVIATIONS
AND
ACRONYMS
USED IN MEDICINE
Assoc. Prof. Warwick Carter
MB.BS., FRACGP, FAMA
Abbreviations, acronyms, symbols and postnominals
that may be encountered in medical books,
magazines, letters, research articles and advertisements,
or patient records, prescriptions and reports.
The interpretation of an abbreviation
may vary in different contexts.
The use of medical acronyms and abbreviations
should be discouraged.
PREFACE
Abbreviations and acronyms seem to be multiplying exponentially in modern medicine. Some are just a passing fad, or have only local significance; others, though, become widely used and recognised. Unfortunately, remembering the details about the alphabet soup that may appear in medical records or reports has become an impossible task for the busy clinician.
This book is aimed to assist doctors, medical students, nurses and others involved in reading medical notes and reports in interpreting the abbreviations and acronyms used by others. It is NOT designed to encourage their use in any way. The use of abbreviations and acronyms in medical records and reports may lead to errors in patient care as they may be misunderstood or misinterpreted.
When acronyms and abbreviations are used, they should always be defined within the records, report etc. in which they appear, thus :
"Mr. Jones has suffered a cerebrovascular accident (CVA). His CVA has left him with a left hemiplegia."
Not every abbreviation and acronym used in every clinical and geographical area of medicine can possibly be described in a book of this size, but it should include the majority of those encountered by most physicians.
I trust that you will find this book useful in your practice.
Warwick Carter
Brisbane
2009
SYMBOLS
Dð diagnosis / change
yð psychiatry / psychiatrist
Sð sum / syphilis
# fracture / number
death
Qð birth
NUMBERS
15/60 fifteen minutes
3/24 three hours
5/7 five days
30/40 thirty weeks pregnant
10/52 ten weeks
4/12 four months
5 HIAA 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid
7vPCV seven valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
14C Carbon-14
23vPPV 23 valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine
A
A Aedes / argon / artery / Ancyclostoma / Ascaris
A2 angiotensin 2 / aortic second sound
A2RB angiotensin 2 receptor blocker
