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Medical Abbreviation Lookup
Look up common medical abbreviations you might see on a chart, after-visit summary, or lab report.
What this answers:
- What does a specific medical abbreviation usually stand for, and are there other common meanings to be aware of?
This is a small, originally written reference — not a comprehensive or authoritative medical dictionary. Several abbreviations have more than one common meaning; where that's the case, this list says so instead of picking one. This tool does not interpret a prescription or provide dosing instructions.
Reviewed: September 28, 2026.
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- BP — Vital signs
- Blood pressure
- HR — Vital signs
- Heart rate
- RR — Vital signs
- Respiratory rate
- Occasionally used for "regular rhythm" in cardiac notes — read in context.
- Dx — General clinical documentation
- Diagnosis
- Rx — General clinical documentation
- Prescription or treatment
- Hx — General clinical documentation
- History
- Tx — General clinical documentation
- Treatment
- Sx — General clinical documentation
- Symptoms
- Sometimes used for "surgery" in surgical notes — read in context.
- CC — Clinical documentation
- Chief complaint
- Also a common abbreviation for "cubic centimeter" outside clinical notes — read in context.
- HPI — Clinical documentation
- History of present illness
- ROS — Clinical documentation
- Review of systems
- PMH — Clinical documentation
- Past medical history
- FHx — Clinical documentation
- Family history
- SHx — Clinical documentation
- Social history
- CBC — Laboratory
- Complete blood count
- BMP — Laboratory
- Basic metabolic panel
- CMP — Laboratory
- Comprehensive metabolic panel
- BMI — Vital signs / screening
- Body mass index
- NPO — Orders
- Nothing by mouth (from the Latin "nil per os")
- PRN — Medication/order instructions
- As needed (from the Latin "pro re nata")
- BID — Medication instructions
- Twice a day (from the Latin "bis in die")
- TID — Medication instructions
- Three times a day (from the Latin "ter in die")
- QID — Medication instructions
- Four times a day (from the Latin "quater in die")
- STAT — Orders
- Immediately (from the Latin "statim")
- DNR — Advance directives
- Do not resuscitate
- CHF — Diagnosis
- Congestive heart failure
- COPD — Diagnosis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- DM — Diagnosis
- Diabetes mellitus
- HTN — Diagnosis
- Hypertension
- MI — Diagnosis
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- CVA — Diagnosis
- Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
- UTI — Diagnosis
- Urinary tract infection
- URI — Diagnosis
- Upper respiratory infection
- GI — Body system
- Gastrointestinal
- GU — Body system
- Genitourinary
- CNS — Body system
- Central nervous system
- WNL — Documentation
- Within normal limits
- N/V — Symptoms
- Nausea and vomiting
- SOB — Symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- PO — Route terminology
- By mouth (from the Latin "per os")
- IV — Route terminology
- Intravenous
- IM — Route terminology
- Intramuscular
- PT — Care services
- Physical therapy
- Also very commonly means "patient" in casual notes, or "prothrombin time" in laboratory contexts — read in context.
- OT — Care services
- Occupational therapy
- ED — Care setting
- Emergency department
- ICU — Care setting
- Intensive care unit
- PCP — Care roles
- Primary care provider
- In a toxicology context, PCP instead refers to the drug phencyclidine — read in context.
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