R Back to Main Page
R to L&A	react to light and accommodation
r.	rectal  also rectal temperature  also right  also roentgen  also x-ray
R.	rub
r.a.m.	rapid alternating movements
R.A.S.	right arm sitting
R.S.V.	respiratory syncytial virus
Ra	radium
RA	refractory anemia  also rheumatoid arthritis  also right atrium
rad	radiation absorbed dose  also right axis deviation
rad.	radial
RADS	reactive airays dysfunction syndrome
RAI	radioactive iodine
RAP	recurrent abdominal pain
RAST	radio-allergosorbent test
RAtx	radiation therapy
RBBB	right bundle branch block
RBC	red blood cell  also red blood count
RCA	right coronary artery
RCS	reticulum cell sarcoma
RCT	root canal therapy  also root canal treatment
RCU	respiratory care unit
RD	reaction to degeneration  also respiratory disease  also respiratory distress
RDS	respiratory distress syndrome
RE	reconditioning exercise
rect.	rectal  also rectally  also rectum  also rectus muscle
reg.	regular
rehab.	rehabilitation
resp.	respirations  also respiratory
RF	rheumatic fever  also rheumatoid factor
RFA	right frontoanterior
RFP	right frontoposterior
RFT	right frontotransverse
Rh	rhesus blood factor
RH	right hyperphoria
RHD	rheumatic heart disease
RHF	right heart failure
RHT	right hypertrophia
RIH	right inguinal hernia
RLA	Rancho Los Amigo Scale
RLE	right lower extremity
RLF	retrolental fibroplasia
RLL	right lower lobe (lung)
RLQ	right lower quadrant (abdomen)
RLS	Restless Leg Syndrome
RMA	right mentoanterior
RML	right mediolateral  also right middle lobe (lung)
RMP	right mentoposterior
RMSF	Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
RMT	right mentotransverse
RNA	ribonucleic acid
RO or R/O	rule out
ROA	right occipital anterior
ROM	range of motion (joint)  also right otitis media  also rupture of membranes
ROP	right occipital posterior
ROS	review of systems
ROT	right occipital transverse
RP	retrograde pyelogram
RQ	respiratory quotient
RR	recovery room  also respiratory rate
RRE or RR&E	round, regular, and equal
rRNA	ribosomal RNA
RRP	radical retropubic prostatectomy
RRR	Regular Rate & Rhythm
RSA	right sacrum anterior (fetal position)
RSD	reflex sympathetic dystrophy
RSO	right salpingo-oophorectomy
RSP	right sacrum posterior (fetal position)
RSR	regular sinus rhythm
RST	right sacrum transverse (fetal position)
RT	radiation therapy  also respiratory therapy
Rt.	right
RTA	renal tubular acidosis  also road traffic accident
RTC	return to clinic
RUC	regular uterine contraction
RUE	right upper extremity
RUL	right upper lobe (lung)
RUQ	right upper quadrant (abdomen)
RV	residual volume (lung capacity)
RVF	right ventricular failure
RVH	right ventricular hypertrophy
Rx	prescription  also therapy
S Back to Main Page
S	sensation  also sensitive  also serum
s	without (Lat. sans)
S & RP	scaling and root planning
S&A	sugar and acetone
s.c.	subcutaneous
s.gl.	without correction (sans glasses)
S.O.A.P.	subjective, objective assessment plan
S.O.S.	repeat once if urgent
S.T.S.	serological test for syphilis
S/B	seen by
S/E	systemic enquiry
S/P	status post (previous condition)
Sa.	Saline
SACD	subacute combined degeneration
SAH	systemic arterial hypertension
SaO2	arterial oxygen saturation
SB	stillborn
SBE	subacute bacterial endocarditis
SBFT	small bowel follow through (x-ray)
SBO	small bowel obstruction
SC	sickle cell
SCA	subclavian artery
SCC	sickle cell crisis
SCD	sudden cardiac death
schiz	schizophrenia
SCID	severe combined immunodeficiency disease
SCU	special care unit
SDH	subdural hematoma
sec	second
sem. ves	seminal vesicles
Sens.	sensation  also sensory
sep.	separated
Sept. AB	septic abortion
Serol.	serological test
Serol.	serology
SGA	small for gestational age
SGOT	serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase
SH	serum hepatitis  also social history
SI	sacroiliac joint  also stroke index
SIADH	Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion
sib.	sibling
SICU	surgical intensive care unit
SIDS	sudden infant death syndrome
SIJ	sacroiliac joint
SIRS	systemic inflammatory response syndrome
skel.	skeletal
SL	under the tongue (Lat. sub lingua)
sl or s.l.	in a broad sense (Lat. sensu lato)
Sl.	slightly
SLA	left sacroanterior (fetal position) (Lat. sacrolaeva anterior)
SLE	systemic lupus erythematosus
SLP	left sacroposterior (fetal position) (Lat. sacrolaeva posterior)
SLR	straight leg raising
SLT	left sacrotransverse (fetal position) (Lat. sacrolaeva transversa)
sm	small
SMA-14	routine admission chemistry
SNS	sympathetic nervous system
SO	superior oblique
SO4	sulfate
SOA	swelling of ankles
SOB	shortness of breath
SOB(OE)	shortness of breath (on exercise)
sod.	sodium
SOL	space occupying lesion
Sol.	solution
sono.	sonogram
sp&H	speech and hearing
sp.	spinal  also spine
sp.cd.	spinal cord
sp.fl.	spinal fluid
sp.gr	specific gravity
spec.	specimen
spg.	sponge
spin.	spinal  also spine
SPN	superficial peroneal nerve
spont.	spontaneous
SR	sedimentation rate  also stimulus response  also superior rectus muscle  also system review
SROM	spontaneous rupture of membranes
SS	social service
SSC	stainless steel crown
SSE	soap suds enema
SSS	sick sinus syndrome
st	stage (of disease)
st.	stomach
Staph	staphylococcus
stat.	immediately
STD	sexually transmitted disease
stom or st.	stomach
strep.	streptococcus
STSG	split thickness skin graft
subcut.	subcutaneous
subling.	sublingual
sulf.	sulfate
sup.	superior
supin.	supination
supp	suppository
surg.	surgery  also surgical
SVC	superior vena cava
SVD	spontaneous vaginaldelivery
SVR	systemic vascular resistance
SVT	supra ventricular tachycardia
SWD	short wave diathermy
Sx	symptoms
sys.	system
syst.	systolic
T Back to Main Page
T	temperature  also thoracic
T of F	tetralogy of Fallot
T&A	tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy  also tonsils and adenoids
T&C	type and crossmatch
T, OD	tension, right eye (Lat. oculus dexter)
T.A.T.	tetanus antitoxin
T.F.	tuning fork
t.i.d.	three times a day
t.i.w.	three times per week
T.M.	ear drum (Lat. tympanum membrani)
T.R.	Therapeutic recreation
T3	triodothyronine
T4	total serum thyroxine
TA	tendon Achilles
TAB	therapeutic abortion
tab.	tablet
TAH	total abdominal hysterectomy
TB	tuberculosis
TBI	total body irradiation  also traumatic brain injury
TBLC	term birth living child
tbsp.	tablespoon
TCDB	turn, cough, deep breath
TCI	to come in
tds	three times daily
TEE	transesophageal echocardiography
temp	temperature
TENS	transient electric nerve stimulation
TESD	total end systolic diameter
TFT	thyroid function test
TGA	transposition great vessels
THERAP.	therapeutic
THERAP.	therapy
thor.	thoracic  also thorax
THR	total hip replacement/revision
TI	tricuspid insufficiency
TIA	transient ischemic attack  also transient ischemic shock
TIBC	total iron binding capacity
TIP	terminal interphalangeal (joint)
TIUP	term intrauterine pregnancy
TJ	triceps jerk (reflex)
TKR	total knee replacement/revision
TLC	tender loving care  also total lung capacity  also triple lumen catheter
TMJ	temporomandibular joint (Lat. temporalist mandibulae junction)
TNF	tumor necrosis factor
TNI	total nodal irradiation
TNM	tumor, nodes, and metastases
TO	telephone order
to AA	to affected areas
TOA	tubo-ovarian abscess
TORCH (titer)	toxoplamosis, others (hepatitis, beta strep, flu, mumps, etc.) rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes virus II
TOS	thoracic outlet syndrome
TP	term pregnancy
TPA	thrombo proteolytic activity
TPHA	treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay
TPN	total parenteral nutrition
TPR	temperature, pulse, respiration
tr	trace
trach	tracheostomy
TRH	thyroid releasing hormone
tRNA	transfer RNA
TS	tricuspid stenosis
TSH	thyroid stimulating hormone
tsp.	teaspoon
TSS	toxic shock syndrome
TTI	total thromboplastin index
TTO	to take outs (discharge drugs)
TTP	thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura
T-Tube	cholangiogram
TUNA	transurethral needle ablation (prostatic)
TUR	transurethral resection
TURB	transurethral resection of the bladder
TURP	transurethral resection of the prostate
TV	tidal volume
TVH	total vaginal hysterectomy
TVR	tricuspid valve replacement
Tx	traction  also treatment
U Back to Main Page
U.	unit
U/A	urinalysis
U/E	urea and electrolytes
u/o	under observation for  also urine output
u/s or US	ultrasound
UC	ulcerative colitis  also uterine contractions
UCD	usual childhood diseases
UCG	urinary chorionic gonadotropin
UCHD	usual childhood diseases
UE	upper extremity (Lat. extremitas)
UFE	uterine fibroid embolization
UG	upward gaze
UGI	upper gastrointestinal  also upper gastrointestinal series (x-ray)
UL	upper lid
uln	ulnar
ULQ	upper left quadrant
umb.	navel/umbilical cord (Lat. umbilicus)
ung.	ointment
unilat.	unilateral
UOP	urine output
Ur.	urine
URD	upper respiratory disease
URI	upper respiratory infection
Urol.	Urology
URQ	upper right quadrant
URTI	upper respiratory tract infection
USA.	unstable angina
USI	urinary stress incontinence
USN	ultrasonic nebulizer
USP.	United States Pharmacy
USPHA	United States Public Health Administration
ut.	uterine  also uterus
UTI	urinary tract infection
UVL	ultraviolet light
V Back to Main Page
V	vein
V & T	volume and tension (pulse)
V.I.	vaginal irrigation
v.i.r.	vascular interventional radiology
V.R.	right vision  also ventilation rate  also vocal resonance
VA	visual acuity
vag	vagina  also vaginal
VC or vit.cap.	vital capacity
VCS	vasoconstrictor substance
VCU	voiding cystourethrogram
VD	venereal disease
Vd	void
VDRL	venereal disease research laboratory (syphilis test)
vent.	ventilator
vert.	vertical
VF	ventricular fibrillation  also visual fields
VG	vein graft
VHD	valvular heart disease
VI	volume index
Via	by way of
VIPS	voluntary interruption of pregnancy and sterilization service
vit.	vitamin
VLDL	very low density lipoproteins
VM	vestibular membrane
VN	visiting nurse
VO	verbal order
VOD	vision right eye
vol	volume
VOS	vision left eye
VP	venous pressure  also venticulo-peritoneal
VPC	ventricular premature contraction
VQ scan	ventilation-perfusion scan
VS	vesicular sound  also volumetric solution
VS or V.S.	vital signs
VSA	vital signs absent
VSD	ventricular septal defect
VSS	vital signs stable
VT or V Tach	ventricular tachycardia
VTX	vertex
VWF	von Willebrand factor
Vx.	vertex presentation
W Back to Main Page
W	white  also widowed
W/A	while awake
w/c or wh.ch.	wheelchair
w/n	within
W/R	ward round
w/u	workup
Wass.	Wasserman
WB	whole blood
WBC	white blood count
WBC or w.b.c.	white blood cells
WBT	weight bearing to tolerance
WDWN	well developed, well nourished
WE	wide excision
WF	white female
wk	week
WM	white male
WN	well nourished
WNL	within normal limits
WNV	West Nile Virus
WP	whirlpool
WPW	Wolff-Parkinson-White
wt.	weight
X Back to Main Page
X	exophoria distance
x	times
x/12	number of months
x/52	number of weeks
x/7	number of days
X-match	cross-match
XT	exotrophia distance
XY	male sex chromosome
Y Back to Main Page
y.o.	years old
yrs.	years
Z Back to Main Page
ZDV	Zidovudine
zeep	zero end-expiratory pressure
zif	zero insertion force
zift	Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer
zig	zoster immune globulin
zip	zoster-immune plasma
ZOE	zinc oxide eugenol
zsr	zeta sedimentation rate