What Do Medical Abbreviations Derive From?

Medical abbreviations are commonly encountered in hospital, medical and dental records. They are a medical professional's rapid and succinct way of recording information about a patient and giving instructions to other medical personnel. Common abbreviations come from Latin phrases, the initial letters of medical words or terms, called acronyms, and the metric measurement system. Most medical abbreviations are standard throughout the medical field, although some doctors and hospitals create their own. Some medical abbreviations have been banned because of their ambiguity.

Latin Origins

• Latin terms and phrases are a major source of medical abbreviations, particularly those describing when and how often a task should be performed. Physicians who want a test performed immediately request it be done "stat." Stat is an abbreviated form of the Latin word "statim", which means, "with no delay." Abbreviations with Latin origins are also common on patient charts and prescriptions to describe how and when medications are given. For example, a patient's chart may indicate that a particular medication be given q.i.d., or four times per day, from the Latin phrase "quater in die." The abbreviation p.o. instructs that the drug be administered "per os", which is Latin for "by mouth."

Acronyms

• Many medical abbreviations are acronyms, those formed using the first letter of each word in a descriptive phrase. Such terms can describe things such as tests, body parts, conditions and locations. A CBC, or complete blood count, is a common blood test. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, and LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, describe types of cholesterol. ACL injuries damage the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a serious lung condition. LLQ describes pain in a patient's lower-left quadrant of the abdomen.

Metric System

• The field of medicine uses International Metric System units for describing weights and measures. Metric unit abbreviations on a medical chart denote quantities, particularly mass, volume and size. The kilogram, gram and milligram are common mass measurements abbreviated kg, g, and mg, respectively. Volumes are typically measured in liters (L), milliliters (ml) or cubic centimeters (cc). Centimeters (cm) and millimeters (mm) are metric system units of length.

Disadvantages

• Unfortunately, some medical abbreviations used to convey medical information may be misinterpreted. According to AMN Healthcare, the ambiguity and medical errors associated with some medical symbols and abbreviations caused the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to establish a "Do Not Use" list of abbreviations as part of its National Patient Safety Goals. An individual facility may also ban additional abbreviations that may be misinterpreted or have multiple or confusing meanings.