| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| ABG | Arterial blood gasses |
| ACE | Angiotensin converting enzyme |
| ACTH | Adrenocorticotrohpic hormone |
| ADH | Antidiuretic hormone |
| APT | Applied potential tomography |
| APUD | Amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation |
| AF | Atrial fibrillation |
| AIDS | Acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
| ALL | Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia |
| ALT | Alanine transaminase |
| AML | Acute myeloid leukaemia |
| ANF | Antinuclear factor |
| ARDS | Adult repiratory distress syndrome |
| ASD | Atrial septal defect |
| ASO | Antistrepsolysin-O |
| AST | Aspartate transaminase |
| ATN | Acute tubular necrosis |
| AXR | Abdominal chest X-ray |
| BBB | Bundle branch block |
| BMT | Bone marrow transplant |
| BTS | Bllod transfusion service |
| CABG | Coronary artery bypass graft |
| CAH | Chronic active hepatitis |
| CAPD | Chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis |
| CCF | Congestive cardiac failure |
| CCU | Coronray care unit |
| CEA | Carcionembryonic antigen |
| CLL | Chronic lymphatic leukaemia |
| CML | Chronic myeloid leukaemia |
| CMV | Cytomegalovirus |
| CNS | central nervous system |
| COLD | Chronic obstructive lung disease |
| CRF | Chronic renal failure, corticotrophin releasing factor |
| CSF | Cerebro-spinal fluid |
| CSM | Committe for safety in medicine |
| CT, CAT | Computerised (axial) tomography |
| CVA | Cerebrovascular accident |
| CVP | Central venous pressure |
| CVS | Cardiovascular system |
| CXR | Chest X-ray |
| DIC | Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy |
| DIP | distal interphalangeal |
| dl | decilitre |
| DM | Diabetes mellitus |
| DU | Duodenal ulcer |
| DVT | Deep venous thrombosis |
| EBV | Epstein-Barr virus |
| ECG | Electrocardiograph |
| EEG | Electroencephalograph |
| EP | Electrophysiology, evoked potential |
| EIT | Electrical impedance tomography |
| ELISA | Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay |
| EMG | Electromyograph |
| EMU | Early morning urine |
| ERCP | Endoscopic retrograd cholangiopancreatrography |
| ESR | Erythrocyte sedimentation rate |
| FBC | Full blood count |
| FDP | Fibrin degradation product |
| FEV1 | Forced expriatory volume in one second |
| FFP | Fresh frozen plasma |
| fl | femtolitre |
| FSH | Folicle stimulating hormone |
| FTA | Florescent treponemal antibody (test) |
| FVC | Forced vital capacity |
| GABA | Gamma-aminobutyric acide |
| GGTP | Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase |
| GH | Growth hormone |
| GN | Glomerulonephritis |
| GVH | Graft-versus-host (disease) |
| HBV | Hepatitis B virus |
| HDV | Hepatitis delta virus |
| HIV | Human immunodeficiency virus |
| HLA | Human leucocyte antigen |
| HOCM | Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy |
| HR | Heart rate |
| HSV | Herpes simplex virus |
| IBD | Irritable bowel disease |
| ICP | Intracranial pressure |
| ICU | Intensive care unit |
| IDL | Intermediate density lipoprotein |
| IHD | Ischaemic heart disease |
| IM | Intramuscular |
| INR | International normalised ratio |
| ITP | Ideopathic thrombocytopenic purpura |
| IU | International units |
| IVC | Inferior vena cava |
| IVU | Intravenous urography |
| JVP | Jugular venous pressure |
| KCO | Carbon monoxide transfer factor |
| LA | Left atrium |
| LAD | Left axis deviation |
| LBBB | Left bundle branch block |
| LDH | Lactate dehydrogenase |
| LDL | Low density lipoprotein |
| LFT | Liver function test |
| LH | Lutenising hormone |
| LVF | Left ventricular failure |
| MCV | Mean corpuscular volume |
| MEG | Magnetoencephalograph |
| MEN | Multiple endocrine neoplasia |
| meq | milliequivalents |
| mg | milligramme |
| mg% | milligramme per 100 millilitres |
| ml | millilitre |
| mmol | millimols |
| MHC | Major histocompatibility complex |
| MRI | Magnetic resonance imaging |
| MI | Myocardial infarction |
| MSU | Mid-stream urine |
| MTP | Metatarsophalangeal |
| NANB | Non-A, non-B (hepatitis) |
| MNR | Nuclear magnetic resonance |
| NAP | Neutrophil alkaline phosphatase |
| NSAID | Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug |
| OCP | Oral contraceptive pill |
| OGTT | Oral glucose tolerance test |
| PA | Pulmonary artery |
| PABA | Para-amino benzoic acid |
| PAS | p-amino salicylic acide |
| PBC | primary biliary cirrhosis |
| PCH | Paroxsysmal cold haemoglobinuria |
| PCP | Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia |
| PCV | Packed cell volume |
| PDA | Patent ductus arteriosus |
| PEEP | Positive end-expiratory pressure |
| PEFR | Peek expiratory flow rate |
| PET | Positron emmision tomography |
| pg | picogram |
| PIP | Proximal interphalangeal |
| PPD | Purifed protein derivative |
| PPS | Plasma protein solution |
| PR | Per rectum |
| PRV | Polycythaemia rubra vera |
| PTH | Parathyroid hormone |
| PT | Prothrobmin time |
| PTT | Partial thromboplastin time |
| PTTK | Partial thromboplastin time with kaolin |
| PUO | Pyrexia of unknown origin |
| PUVA | Psoralen ultraviolet A |
| PV | Per vaginam |
| RA | Right atrium |
| RAD | Right axis deviation |
| RAG | R antigen |
| RAST | Radio allergosorbent test |
| RBBB | Right bundle-branch block |
| RCC | Red cell concentrate |
| RF | Rheumatoid factor, radio frequency |
| RIF | Right illiac fossa |
| RTA | Renal tubular acidosis |
| RUQ | Right upper quadrant |
| RVF | Right ventricular failure |
| SACD | Subacute combined degeneration |
| SBE | Subactute bacterial endocarditis |
| SLE | Systemic lupus erythmatosus |
| SPECT | Single photon emmision computerised tomography |
| SVC | Superior vena cava |
| SVT | Supraventricular tacchycardia |
| TB | Tuberculosis |
| TIA | Transient ischaemic attack |
| TIP | Terminal interphalangeal |
| TPHA | Treponema pallidum haemaglutination assay |
| TPN | Total parenteral nutrition |
| TRH | Thyrotrophin releasing hormone |
| TSH | Thyroid stimulating hormone |
| TURP | Transurethral resection of the prostate |
| U & E | Urea and electrolytes |
| UC | Ulcerative collitis |
| URTI | Upper respiratory tract infection |
| UTI | Urinary tract infection |
| US | Ultrasound |
| VDRL | Veneral Diseases Research Laboratory |
| VF | Ventricular fibrillation |
| VLDL | Very low density lipoprotein |
| VSD | Ventricular septal defect |
| VT | Ventricular tacchycardia |
| VWF | Von-Willebrand factor |
| WBC | White blood cell |
| WPW | Wolff-Parkinson-White (syndrome) |