Medical Abbreviations With A
Enjoy this comprehensive guide to medical abbreviations! Learning the correct meanings and spellings of abbreviations is an important part of becoming a successful medical professional. This guide will help you get started. Included are common abbreviations for both medical terms and hospital documentation. Plus, discover some tips for how to remember these abbreviations easily and effectively. Let’s get started!
| Abd | abdomen |
| ab | abdomen, abdominal |
| ABD | abdominal |
| Aag | abdominal aortic aneurysm |
| AXR | abdominal x-ray |
| APR | abdominoperineal resection |
| ANDI | aberrations of normal development and involution |
| Abn | abnormal |
| AB | abortion, AB Blood Type |
| AKA | above-knee amputation |
| ARD | absolute risk difference |
| AK | acanthamoeba keratitis |
| A+E | Accident and Emergency |
| Acc | accommodation |
| Ace | acetone |
| ACh | acetylcholine |
| AChE | acetylcholine esterase |
| ASA | acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) |
| A/B | acid-base ratio |
| AFB | acid-fast bacilli |
| ABI | acquired brain injury |
| AIDS | acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
| aPTT | activated partial thromboplastin time |
| AROM | active range of motion |
| ADLs | activities of daily living |
| ABE | acute bacterial endocarditis |
| ABLA | Acute Blood Loss Anemia |
| ACPO | acute colonic pseudo-obstruction |
| ADHF | acute decompensated heart failure |
| AFNTR | acute febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reaction |
| AIPD | acute infectious and parasitical diseases |
| AKI | acute kidney injury |
| ALI | acute limb injury |
| ALL | acute lymphoblastic leukemia |
| AMI | acute mesenteric ischemia |
| AMS | acute mountain sickness |
| AML | acute myeloid leukemia |
| ANUG | acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis |
| AOE | acute otitis externa |
| APACHE II | Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II |
| APMPPE | acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy |
| ARF | acute renal failure |
| ARDS | acute respiratory distress syndrome |
| ATN | acute tubular necrosis |
| AAI | acute arterial insufficiency |
| ACCU | acute coronary care unit |
| AGN | acute glomerulonephritis |
| AOM | acute otitis media |
| ATP | acute thrombocytopenic purpura |
| AIS | adenocarcinoma in situ |
| ADP | adenosine diphosphate |
| AMP | adenosine monophosphate |
| adm | admission |
| Adn | adnexae |
| AYA | adolescents and young adults |
| ACTH | adrenocorticotropic hormone |
| APD | adult polycystic disease |
| APKD | adult polycystic kidney disease |
| AODM | adult-onset diabetes mellitus |
| ACP | Advance care planning |
| ACLS | advanced cardiac life support |
| AMA | advanced maternal age |
| AMO | advanced medical optics |
| ATLS | Advanced trauma life support |
| ADE | adverse drug event |
| ADR | adverse drug reaction |
| AVSS | Afebrile, vital signs stable |
| AGES criteria | age, grade, extent, size |
| ARMD | age-related macular degeneration |
| ADC | AIDS dementia complex |
| ARC | AIDS-related complex |
| ADW | Ain’t Doin’ Well |
| AC&BC | air conduction and bone conduction |
| A/E | Air entry |
| AHR | airway hyper-reactivity |
| ABC | airway, breathing, circulation |
| ABCD | airway, breathing, circulation, disability |
| ABCs | airway, breathing, circulation, etc. |
| ALT | alanine transaminase |
| ASPECTS | Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, ASPECT Score |
| Alc | alco123 |
| ASH | alcoholic steatohepatitis |
| ARBI | alcohol-related brain injury |
| A&Ox3 | alert and oriented, times 3 |
| A&Ox4 | alert and oriented, times 4 |
| A&W | alive and well |
| ALP | alkaline phosphatase |
| AP | alkaline phosphatase |
| Alk phos | alkaline phosphatase |
| ABPA | allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis |
| ACD | allergic contact dermatitis |
| AIN | allergic interstitial nephritis |
| AND | allowing natural death |
| ATRA | all-trans retinoic acid |
| AMPA receptor | alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor of the brain |
| AFP | alpha-fetoprotein |
| aka | also known as |
| ACS | altered conscious state |
| ARMS | alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma |
| AD | Alzheimer’s disease |
| Amb | ambulate |
| ACU | ambulatory care unit |
| AEM | ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring |
| ASC | ambulatory surgery center |
| ADA | American Dental Association |
| AJCC | American Joint Committee on Cancer |
| ATCC | American Type Culture Collection |
| ALA | aminolevulinic acid |
| AF-AFP | amniotic fluid alpha fetoprotein |
| AFI | amniotic fluid index |
| Amt | amount |
| Amp | ampule ampere |
| ALS | amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
| A/P | anatomy and physiology |
| ACD | anemia of chronic disease |
| ARB | angiotensin II receptor antagonist |
| AIIRB | angiotensin II receptor antagonist |
| ACE | angiotensin-converting enzyme |
| ACEI | angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor |
| APSAC | anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex |
| ABPI | ankle brachial pressure index |
| AFO | ankle-foot orthosis |
| ALCAPA | anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery |
| APH | antepartum haemorrhage |
| Ant | anterior |
| AAL | anterior axillary line |
| ACA | Anterior cerebral artery |
| ACDF | anterior cervical discectomy and fusion |
| ACL | anterior cruciate ligament |
| AFSOF | anterior fontanelle soft, open, flat |
| AIR | anterior interval release |
| ASIS | anterior superior iliac spine |
| ATB | antibiotic |
| ABT | antibiotic therapy |
| AAD | antibiotic-associated diarrhea |
| AAPMC | antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis |
| ABX | antibiotics |
| Ab | antibody |
| ADCC | antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity |
| ADH | antidiuretic hormone |
| Ag | antigen |
| AGA | anti-gliadin antibodies |
| AHF | antihemophilic factor |
| AHG | antihemophilic globulin |
| AHT | antihyaluronic acid test |
| ALG | antilymphocytic globulin |
| ANCA | antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody |
| ANA | antinuclear antibody |
| APLS | antiphospholipid syndrome |
| ART | antiretroviral therapy |
| ASCA | anti–Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies |
| ASO | antistreptolysin-O |
| ASOT | antistreptolysin-O titre |
| ATS | antitetanus serum, that is, antitetanus immunoglobulins |
| AT | antithrombin |
| AT-III | antithrombin III |
| ATG | anti-thymocyte globulin |
| ATA | antitransglutaminase antibodies |
| AR | aortic regurgitation |
| AS | aortic stenosis |
| AVR | aortic valve replacement |
| ACB | aortocoronary bypass |
| ap | apical, anteroposterior |
| AHI | Apnea-Hypopnea Index |
| APGAR | appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, respiration |
| appy | appendectomy |
| applic. | applicandus |
| AUC | area under the curve |
| Arg | arginine |
| ARVC | arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy |
| ARVD | arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia |
| Aa. | arteria, see Artery |
| ABG | arterial blood gas |
| ASCAD | arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease |
| AHD | arteriosclerotic heart disease |
| ASH ASHD |
arteriosclerotic heart disease |
| ASCVD | arteriosclerotic vascular disease |
| AV | arteriovenous |
| AVF | arteriovenous fistula |
| AVM | arteriovenous malformation |
| AMC | arthrogryposis multiplex congenita |
| AI | artificial insemination |
| AID | artificial insemination by donor |
| AIH | artificial insemination by husband |
| AIHD | artificial insemination by pooled husband and donor semen |
| ARM | artificial rupture of membranes |
| AUS | Artificial urinary sphincter |
| AHH | aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase |
| ad lib | as desired |
| AEB | as evidenced by (commonly used by nurses) |
| APP | as per protocol |
| ASAP | as soon as possible |
| AST | aspartate transaminase |
| A | assessment |
| Ass | assessment |
| AC | assisted controlled ventilation |
| ALF | assisted living facility |
| ASH | Asymmetric septal hypertrophy |
| ANTR | asymmetrical tonic neck reflex |
| ATNR | asymmetrical tonic neck reflex |
| ASX | asymptomatic |
| ASB | asymptomatic bacteriuria |
| A-T | ataxia-telangiectasia |
| AF | atrial fibrillation |
| AFib | atrial fibrillation |
| AFL | atrial flutter |
| ANF | atrial natriuretic factor |
| ANP | atrial natriuretic peptide |
| APC | atrial premature contraction |
| ASD | atrial septal defect autism spectrum disorder |
| AVSD | atrioventricular septal defect |
| ADD | attention deficit disorder |
| ADHD | attention deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| Atp | atypical |
| AAT | atypical antibody test |
| ATCP | Atypical Chest Pain |
| AGC | atypical glandular cells |
| ASCUS | atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance |
| ASC-H | atypical squamous cells—cannot exclude HSIL |
| ASGUS | atypical squamous glandular cells of undetermined significance |
| AH | auditory hallucinations |
| A&P | auscultation and percussion |
| AIHA | Autoimmune hemolytic anemia |
| ALPS | autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome |
| APS | autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome |
| APECED | autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy |
| ABMT | autologous bone marrow transplantation |
| AED | automated external defibrillator |
| AICD | automated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator |
| APAP | automatic positive airway pressure |
| ANS | autonomic nervous system |
| ADHR | autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets |
| AVN | avascular necrosis |
| AAOx3 | awake, alert, and oriented, times 3 |
| AAOx4 | awake, alert, and oriented, times 3 |
| A&O or A/O | aware and oriented or alert and oriented |
| Ax | axillary |
| AZT | azidothymidine |
| ā | before |
| a.c. | before a meal (from Latin ante cibum) |
| a.p. | before a meal |
| aq. bull. | boiling water |
| aq. gel. | cold water |
| aq. dist. | distilled water |
| ABVD | Doxorubicin (adriamycin), bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine |
| AU | each ear |
| aur. | ear |
| aurist. | ear drops |
| altern. d. | every other day |
| a.h. | every other hour |
| A1C | glycated hemoglobin |
| ABO | Landsteiner’s blood grouping system |
| Anti- | refers to an antibody to the suffixed antigen |
| ad. | right ear |
| aur. laev | to left ear |
| aur. dextro. | to right ear |
| ad part. dolent | to the painful parts |
| aq. calid. | warm or hot water |
| aq. | water |
