Used for heart attacks and other problems also called 'nitro'īirth control taken as a pill (also called OC: oral contraceptive)Ĭan be bought without a doctor's prescriptionĪn illegal drug that causes hallucinationsĪ type of antidepressant examples are Prozac and PaxilĪbout the body Ĭommon abbreviations that have to do with the human body include: Abbreviation:Ī measure of how hard the heart is working Pronounced 'en-sed' examples are ibuprofen and aspirin 'ASA' is short for Acetyl salicylic acid (aspirin's original name) Some drugs and medications have common abbreviations. Here are some of the most common: Abbreviation:Īs needed (the person should take the medication only when they need it)ĭrugs & medications For example, 'qAM' stands for 'every AM' (morning). It is helpful to remember that doctors use the letter 'q' to stand for 'every. When to take medications ĭoctors use many different abbreviations to say when to take a medication. Intramuscularly ( injected into a muscle) Abbreviations for the most common routes are: Abbreviation: Medications can be given in different ways (routes).

Medical authorities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere have questioned the use of medical shorthand believing that it can lead to mistakes being made due to less clear communication and have advised doctors to avoid its use. These can be very complicated and extensive (meaning there is a lot of them).ĭespite the fact that this shorthand might make it difficult for new Interns (new doctors) or recently trained nurses to get used to this unofficial language, it has been shown to improve (make better) the speed of treatment in hospitals. An example is, 'pre-op' meaning |pre-operation| (patient who is being prepared for surgery). A very commonly (often) used shorthand is shortening things on order forms for patients. It is from the Latin 'base word' statim, meaning quick. An example of this is 'stat', used to indicate (show) that something needs to be hurried (done faster). Medical professionals also create (make) words that mean something. This shorthand can include shortening (making less lengthy) of longer disease names, by cutting the word down to its base (the Latin or Greek part that makes it).

If you can't find the acronym you're looking for on this list, please let us know.Medical abbreviations are a shorthand way of writing and talking by medical professionals (people who work to help sick people) to hurry explanation of diseases (sickness), patients, or medicines (drugs). Find the meanings for acronyms and abbreviations used at UC San Diego.

What are abbreviations for words called