This archive contains the important medical abbreviations lists, their meanings, and full forms, when they are used, and their importance.
Medical Abbreviations are those short forms including terminologies used by health workers, especially doctors, nurses, and pharmacists in communicating with one another to make their job of keeping records easier.
It is not uncommon to think that doctors and other health workers use medical abbreviations to intimidate and confuse non-health workers. But this is far from the truth,
Rather, medical abbreviations are used because of the following reasons;
One good reason why medical abbreviation is important is for ease of use. Imagine being a doctor in a clinic with dozens of patients waiting to be attended to and having to write the medical term ‘Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug’ as a treatment for all patients.
The most natural thing to do is to use the medical abbreviation; ‘NSAIDS’ instead of writing a Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drug. It not only saves the time of the doctor and that of the patients in waiting, but it also reduces stress and burnout.
It is good to note that the recognized medical terminologies are universally accepted by practicing physicians all over the world.
The founding fathers of modern medicine were the Greeks and Romans and in those times, Latin and Greek were regarded as the languages of the enlightened. So old medical texts were written in Latin and Greek languages. So for one to become a doctor of modern medicine, they must first be proficient in Latin and Greek.
But with the westernization of the world and the widespread of the English Language, there was a need for doctors to teach medicine in a language that will be easily understood by the majority.
So, most written texts needed to be translated into English for easy communication.
Some of the terminologies in the original texts did not have a suitable transliteration into the English Language, and they were left as a corruption of Latin, Greek, and English. This gave rise to the medical terminologies you hear today, hence the abbreviations.
Get Stedmans Medical Abbreviation Guide and Terminologies For Medical Students
The ADR Medical Abbreviation stands for Adverse Drug Reaction. And this refers to unwanted, uncomfortable, or dangerous effects that a drug may have. The acronym ADR Medical Abbreviation can also be referred to as a medical term that is used in clinical pharmacology to refer to drug toxicity or side effects, which occur as a … Read more
Medical abbreviations are useful in a medical setting to reduce the length of medical terminologies and also to enhance the ease of use. Medical abbreviations are shortened forms of medical terms and are mostly used by clinicians. In medical science, there are hundreds of medical abbreviations and in this article, I will be writing about … Read more
I first saw the PRN medical abbreviation used by a medical officer during a medical outreach I attended during my final year in medical school. The outreach was structured in such a way that the medical students manned different stands for history taking, checking vital signs, blood sugar check, urinalysis, and a final stand for … Read more
During the early years of medical school especially in the first year of starting clinical rotations, it is not uncommon to find lots of medical abbreviations and not have a clue as to what they mean. In this post, we will be discussing one of such terminologies; ‘Medical Abbreviations NPO’. Also, if you are currently … Read more
In this post, we will be looking at the SWFI medical abbreviation, its meaning, and when it is used. Medical abbreviations are shorthands used by doctors and other health workers when communicating with one another to make the work of attending to patients easier. In recent times, modern doctors have been advocating for doctors to … Read more
Every now and then, we find doctors and health workers using weird phrases and abbreviations without knowing what they mean. This post is focused on the USOH medical abbreviation; it’s meaning when and why it is used. It is good if you note that medical abbreviations are used by doctors and health workers as a … Read more
Medical abbreviations are one of the ways through which medical professionals communicate with each other in a healthcare setting in order to save time especially when there are many patients to attend to. In this post, we will be looking at the medical abbreviations TIA, its full meaning and when it is used, and what … Read more
To be straightforward, the WDWN medical abbreviation stands for “WELL DEVELOPED WELL NOURISHED”. But if you would like to get more insight on what the WDWN medical abbreviation really means, and when it should be used, then you should keep reading the rest of the post for further information. When is the WDWN Medical Abbreviation … Read more
Every now and then, you come across different medical terms in your studies and during clinical rotations and wonder what they could mean, their origin, and instances in which they are could be used. One of them is the Nephr medical term which we are going to discuss in this post. The etymology of the Nephr … Read more
Introduction: Medical Abbreviations QHS and QAM One misconception about the use of medical abbreviations in health practice especially among patients is that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health workers use such only with the aim of keeping patients confused or to impress them. This is far from the case. Medical abbreviations are just shorthands used … Read more
Some abbreviations used in the medical field today have more than just one meaning. They could be used in different contexts to mean different things. This post discusses one of such abbreviations; ‘Medical Abbreviations PC’, their meanings, and different contexts in which it could be used. There are over a hundred terms in which the … Read more
It is not uncommon to find the NABS medical abbreviation in patient’s folders, clerking, and management records in clinics and during ward rounds. Medical abbreviations are short forms used by doctors and health workers to save time while attending to patients. So for this post, we will be looking at the medical abbreviation NABS, its … Read more
