Some of the jargon used in medical programs on television may be recognizable to viewers. If you already know a lot of medical terms, abbreviations, and acronyms, it’s still a good idea to brush up on your knowledge with some new ones. You may use this list as a jumping-off point.
93 Must-Know Medical Terms, Abbreviations, & Acronyms
Itis
It is a suffix that denotes inflammation of a tissue or an organ. For example, Peritonitis is the inflammation of the peritoneum.
Plasty
Plasty involves anything where any specific part of the body is changed, molded, or grafted. For example, Rhinoplasty is the procedure for a nose job
Ablation
The removal or destruction of a physical portion of tissue is known as amputation. Ablation may be accomplished using surgery, hormones, medications, radiofrequency, heat, or any other medical technology.
Acute
This term refers to a condition that arises quickly and may be severe at times but is only present for a brief period of time. Bleeding, sore throats and influenza are some examples of acute illnesses.
Ambulate
Ambulation is the capacity to walk from one location to another unassisted, with or without assistive equipment. This also refers to the walk-in clinic for diagnostic services.
Ameliorate
This medical terms refers to the improvement in the condition of a patient, or the action of attempting to take actions that are associated with the patient’s condition.
Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia is a Greek medical terms that means loss of rhythm. When a person suffers from arrhythmia, they experience a heartbeat that is too rapid, too slow, too early, or too irregular.
Asymptomatic
Asymptomatic means lack of symptoms. This is used with the patient who has a disorder when don’t exhibit any symptoms.
Atypical
This means a diagnosis that is not normal.
Aural
Any disorder related to the sense of hearing
Benign
Benign is used when talking about tumors or growths; it means that they aren’t cancerous or malignant.
Biopsy
Biopsy refers to the procedure in which a piece of tissue is removed from the patient’s body and is examined under a microscope for any abnormality.
Calcifications
Calcification is a condition in which calcium builds up in bodily tissue, enabling the tissue to harden due to the accumulation. Calcium buildup in areas where it shouldn’t, like our kidneys or lungs, may disrupt regular organ function.
Chronic
An ailment that develops gradually over time and has long-term impacts on the patient’s health is chronic. The word “chronic” is the total opposite of acute and is typically used to describe a condition that lasts longer than three months.
Comorbidity
It is medical terminology in which a person has two or more medical conditions simultaneously. For example, one can have a broken hand with the Comorbidity of diabetes.
Complete Blood Count
Also known as CBC, it is a screening test used to monitor and diagnose different conditions. This test measures the number of white and red blood cells.
Diagnosis of exclusion
A diagnosis of exclusion is a medical diagnosis achieved by elimination. It may be essential if the existence of a medical disease cannot be determined with perfect confidence from the history, examination, or tests.
Diuretic
A diuretic is a medication used to assist the body in eliminating excess fluid via urine. When we have medical diseases such as heart failure, our bodies might retain an excessive amount of fluid. A diuretic is a medication that draws liquid from the tissues and transports it to the kidneys, where it is excreted from the body as urine.
Dys
This medical terminology implies the organ is not functioning, accompanied by discomfort and pain. For example, Dyspepsia defines difficulty indigestion.
Edema
Edema is a condition in which your body’s tissues become swollen due to excess fluid. Even while edema may affect any region of your body, you could feel it in your hands and arms as well as your feet, ankles, and lower legs.
Efficacy
The capacity of a medical intervention like medication or surgery to generate the expected positive outcome. It describes how well certain procedure or medication works.
Embolism
Embolism is when blood vessels are obstructed by a blockage or clog. Dissolved blood clots, bacterial clumps, and other foreign particles, such as air are all examples of emboli.
Emesis
Emesis is another word used for vomiting.
Grossly unremarkable
Grossly unremarkable refers to the fact that nothing odd was seen during a firsthand inspection with the naked eye.
Hematoma
A hematoma occurs when blood accumulates in the tissues or an organ of the body. It is possible that the bleeding may cease on its own, however, a hard lump will remain for some time.
Hyperplasia
Hyperplasia is a condition in which the body’s cells go into overdrive mode producing more cells than is required.
Hyper
Hyper in medical terms indicates to any level that is above normal level. For example, Hyperglycaemia defines excessive blood glucose in the bloodstream.
Hypo
Hypo means a level that is below normal level or does not have enough function. For example, Hypotension is a condition in which arterial blood pressure becomes abnormally low.
Lactogenic
It is a condition that occurs due to a doctor’s medication, therapy, or some exposure at the medical facility.
Idiopathic
Idiopathic diseases are those for which there is no known cause. However, it is not often obvious what the minimum number of tests are required to determine them.
Intubate
Intubate is the placement of a small tube in your airway to help a person breathe.
Lesion
It is the discontinuity of tissues or loss of function in a component due to disease, trauma, or other causes. It is difficult to define what a “lesion” is since the phrase encompasses so many different types of tissue injury. Eczema-related skin lesions to tuberculosis-related alterations in lung tissue are only a few examples.
Metastasize
Metastasize is defined as the movement of cancerous cells from one section of the body to another. For example, cancer cells may break away from the initial tumor and migrate via the blood or lymph system to other organs or tissues, where they might create a new tumor.
Necrosis
In medical terms, necrosis refers to the deterioration or demise of bodily tissue. This occurs when there is not enough blood flow to the tissue. Injuries, toxins, and radiation are all potential causes. It is impossible to stop necrosis once it has begun. A disease known as gangrene occurs when huge tissue regions die for lack of blood flow.
Negative
When used in a medical test, this means that the test did not conclude anything abnormal.
Nodule
Tissue collection that may be felt at any level of one’s skin or in another area of the body.
Non-Invasive
The term noninvasive may refer to illnesses or procedures. Noninvasive illnesses do not normally spread to or harm other organs or tissues. Noninvasive techniques do not use instruments that may penetrate the skin or enter the body.
Occlusion
Occlusion occurs when a tube’s flow is blocked or obstructed. A heart attack occurs when the coronary arteries become obstructed, preventing blood from reaching the heart.
Palliative
The term palliative refers to a therapy that enhances the quality of life but is not anticipated to cure or extend life expectancy.
Pathogen
Bacteria and viruses that enter the body via the respiratory tract, skin, urinary system, or gut are known as pathogens and cause infection.
Pathology
Disease diagnosis and research are carried out in pathology by studying surgically removed tissue samples, organs, and in certain instances, the whole body (autopsy).
Psychotropic
A psychotropic substance is one that alters one’s mood, behavior, thoughts, or perceptions in some way. It encompasses a wide range of substances, including prescribed medications and those that are often abused.
Remarkable
Remarkable implies anything in your report that shouldn’t be there and noticeable.
Sarcoma
Sarcoma refers to a wide range of malignancies that originate in the bones and soft tissues, also known as soft connective tissues. Sarcomas of the soft tissue develop in the connective, supporting, and surrounding tissues of other bodily structures. This contains the muscles, fat, nerves, blood vessels, tendons, and the lining of the joints.
Sclerosis
The interstitial material becomes indurated or hardened when it is inflamed or dead. This condition is called Sclerosis. Hyperplasia of the connective tissue or hardening of the blood vessels in the two most common causes of the hardness of the nervous system respectively.
Somatic
Somatic disorders are often discussed in the context of psychiatry. As an example, a psycho-somatic pain would be a pain that stems from a brain misunderstanding rather than a physical injury.
Stenosis
Medical term stenosis refers to a narrowing of the passageway. Stenosis refers to a narrowing of the passageway rather than an actual obstruction. Similar to occlusion, tubular bodily systems such as blood arteries focus on this medical term. Carotid artery stenosis is a narrowing blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the brain.
Septic
Septic refers to infected infection
TIA
The symptoms of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) are comparable to those of a stroke for a short period of time. For the most part, a TIA typically lasts a few minutes and does not cause long-term harm. TIAs, also known as ministrokes, might serve as warning signs.
Thrombosis
In medical parlance, thrombosis refers to an obstruction in a blood vessel. A deep venous thrombosis, or blood clot in the leg, is one such case. A stroke is caused by a thrombosis or blood clot in the brain’s arteries. Thrombus is treated differently depending on where it is located in the body.
Topical application
A topical product is meant to be applied to the skin. There are topical acne treatments that may be applied directly to the affected area. Even though acne is a skin disorder, you can treat it with pills rather than a topical solution.
Toxicity
Toxic indicates that the body suffers harm that was not intended. In most cases, the dosage of medication used to treat a condition is calculated to improve the condition while causing no harm to healthy or unaffected regions of the body.
Transcutaneous
The medical term “transcutaneous” refers to a technique or therapy that goes through the skin in order to reach a deeper part of the body. Transcutaneous pacemakers provide an electrical shock to the skin, which then travels through the body to the heart, where it may activate the heart’s electrical system and trigger a heartbeat.
Unremarkable
Unremarkable meaning in medical terms means there is everything normal in the report.
Medical Terms – Abbreviation
BID: bis in die or twice a day
HS: twice a day
CHF: Congestive Heart Failure
PO: By Mouth
PRN: Pro Re Nata means administration of medication is not schedule
SVT: Supraventricular tachycardia means abnormally fast or erratic heartbeat
DKA: Diabetic Ketoacidosis
TID: Ter In Die means three times a day
BPH: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
QD: Every day
PCP: Primary Care Physician
DVT: Deep Vein Thrombosis
NPO: Nothing By Mouth
DX: Diagnosis
PA: Physician Assistant
COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury
CVA: Cerebrovascular Accident
ADL: Activities of daily living
PDL: Periodontal ligament
DO: Doctor of osteopathic medicine
HTN: Hypertension
CKD: Chronic Kidney Disease
OD: Once Daily
BMI: Body Mass Index
QID: Quarter in die means taken every so-many hours
CP: Cerebral Palsy
MI: Myocardial Infection
STAT: Immediately
CAD: Coronary Artery Disease
PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
INR: International Normalized Ratio
WNL: Within Normal Limit
ALS: American Sign Language
CMS: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
HPI: History of present illness
PE: Pulmonary embolism
MS: Multiple sclerosis
MSD: Musculoskeletal Disorder