Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Most Common Medical Shorthand Abbreviations for Medical Transcriptionists

Software Tips and Tricks: Abbreviations to Use in Text Expander Programs for Medical Transcriptionists


Text Expander programs like FastFox have made it into part of the core toolkit used by medical transcribers next to dictation software and foot pedals.

Such macro software has shown to improve output as well as reduce the number of mistakes, something highly important in an environment where minor typos can affect a patient's medical history and assistance from spell check/autocorrect tools is nearly non-existent.

Below is a list of the most commonly used medical abbreviations, organized by usage type and alphabetically. This list has been optimized for Medical Transcriptionists to use in FastFox Shorthand Software.

How to use this list:
  • Read the How-To article on using FastFox for Medical Transcription, and add the shortcuts/words accordingly.
  • Remember that usage of terms changes drastically based upon the specialty of the doctor; these are just the most common medical phrases in use. Use the save/load list function of FastFox to change your abbreviation list quickly and easily to match your client's needs.

Anatomy/Physiology

  • CNS central nervous system
  • CSF cerebrospinal fluid
  • ECF extracellular fluid
  • ENT ear nose and throat
  • GI gastrointestinal
  • GU genitourinary
  • ICF intracellular fluid
  • IM intramuscular(ly)
  • RBC red blood cell
  • SC subcutaneous(ly)
  • WBC white blood cell

Compound/Chemical

  • HLA human leukocyte antigen
  • PMN polymorphonuclear leukocyte
  • ACE angiotensin-converting enzyme
  • ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone
  • ADH antidiuretic hormone
  • ALT alanine aminotransferase 
  • AST aspartate aminotransferase 
  • ATP adenosine triphosphate
  • BCG bacille Calmette-GuĂ©rin
  • Ca calcium
  • cAMP cyclic adenosine monophosphate
  • CK creatine kinase
  • Cl chloride; chlorine
  • CO2 carbon dioxide
  • CPK creatine phosphokinase
  • CPK-MB creatine phosphokinase muscle bandisoenzyme
  • DNA deoxyribonucleic acid
  • D/W dextrose in water
  • G6PD glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
  • Hb hemoglobin
  • HCl hydrochloric acid; hydrochloride
  • HCO3 bicarbonate
  • Hg mercury
  • HMG-CoA hydroxymethyl glutaryl coenzyme A
  • IgA immunoglobin A
  • IL interleukin
  • K potassium
  • LDH lactic dehydrogenase
  • Mg magnesium
  • N nitrogen
  • Na sodium
  • NaCl sodium chloride
  • NSAID nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
  • O2 oxygen
  • P phosphorus
  • PPD purified protein derivative 
  • RNA ribonucleic acid
  • soln solution

Disease/Diagnosis

  • ABG arterial blood gas
  • AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
  • BPD borderline personality disorder
  • COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • DTP diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis(toxoids/vaccine)
  • FUO fever of unknown origin
  • GVHD Graft-versus-host disease
  • HIV human immunodeficiency virus
  • MI myocardial infarction
  • RA rheumatoid arthritis
  • SBE subacute bacterial endocarditis
  • SIDS sudden infant death syndrome
  • SLE systemic lupus erythematosus
  • TB tuberculosis
  • URI upper respiratory infection
  • UTI urinary tract infection

Measurement/Test/Dosage

  • bid 2 times a day
  • BMR basal metabolic rate
  • BP blood pressure
  • BSA body surface area
  • BUN blood urea nitrogen
  • C Celsius; centigrade; complement
  • CBC complete blood count
  • cGy centigray
  • Ci curie
  • cm centimeter
  • CT computed tomography
  • Cu cubic
  • dL deciliter
  • ECG electrocardiogram
  • EEG electroencephalogram
  • ERCP endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
  • ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate
  • F Fahrenheit
  • Ft foot; feet
  • G gram
  • GFR glomerular filtration rate
  • H hour
  • Hct hematocrit
  • Hz hertz 
  • INR international normalized ratio
  • IU international unit
  • IVU intravenous urography
  • Kcal kilocalorie
  • Kg kilogram
  • L liter
  • lb pound
  • M molar
  • MCH mean corpuscular hemoglobin
  • MCHC mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
  • mCi millicurie
  • MCV mean corpuscular volume
  • mEq Milliequivalent
  • mg milligram
  • MIC minimum inhibitory concentration
  • mIU milli-international unit
  • mL milliliter
  • mm millimeter
  • mmol millimole
  • mo month
  • mol molecular weight
  • mOsm Milliosmole
  • MRI magnetic resonance imaging
  • Ng nanogram 
  • Nm nanometer 
  • Nmol nanomole
  • oz ounce
  • PAco2 alveolar carbon dioxide partial pressure
  • PAo2 alveolar oxygen partial pressure
  • PAS periodic acid-Schiff
  • Pco2 carbon dioxide partial pressure
  • PCR polymerase chain reaction
  • PET positron emission tomography
  • pg picogram
  • pH hydrogen ion concentration
  • Po2 oxygen partial pressure 
  • ppm parts per million
  • PT prothrombin time
  • PTT partial thromboplastin time
  • q every
  • Sao2 arterial oxygen saturation
  • SI International System of Units
  • spgr specific gravity
  • STS serologic test(s) for syphilis
  • wt weight

Treatment/Care

  • BR bedside rounds
  • CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation
  • D&C dilation and curettage
  • ICU intensive care unit
  • IPPB intermittent positive pressure breathing
  • IV intravenous(ly)
  • Npo nothing by mouth
  • OTC over-the-counter 
  • po orally
  • prn as needed
  • qid 4 times a day
  • SSRI selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
  • tid 3 times a day
  • TPN total parenteral nutrition
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