Welcome to the MTWorld free resource on medical abbreviations.
We have gathered the most common medical abbreviations and
made them available for your use on our website. Although
these standard medical abbreviations have been designed with
medical transcription in mind, they can also benefit non medical
transcriptionists and anyone else in a healthcare or medical
career field who would find this information useful.
Abbreviation |
Meaning |
| P |
| TOP |
| P |
Phosphorus, pressure, pulse, para |
| p.c. |
After meals |
| P.O. |
By mouth |
| p.r.n. |
As needed, whenever necessary |
| PA |
Posteroanterior |
| PAC |
Premature atrial contraction |
| PaCO2 |
Partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood |
| PaO2 |
Partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood |
| Pap |
Papanicolaou smear |
| PCL |
Posterior cruciate ligament |
| PCN |
Penicillin |
| PCO2 |
Partial pressure of carbon dioxide |
| PCP |
Pneumocystis pneumonia |
| PD |
Parkinson's disease |
| PE |
Pulmonary embolism |
| PE |
Physical examination |
| peds |
Pediatrics |
| PEFR |
Peak expiratory flow rate |
| Perrla |
Puplis equal, round, and reactive to light and accommodation |
| PFTs |
Pulmonary function tests |
| pg |
Picogram (micromicrogram) |
| pH |
Hydrogen ion concentration |
| PICU |
Pediatric intensive care unit |
| PID |
Pelvic inflammatory disease |
| PIH |
Pregnancy-induced hypertension |
| PIP |
Proximal interphalangeal |
| PKU |
Phenylketonuria |
| plt |
Platelet |
| PMI |
Point of maximal impulse |
| PMS |
Premenstrual syndrome |
| PND |
Paroxyomal nocturnal dyspnea |
| PO2 |
Partial pressure of oxygen |
| POD |
Postoperative day |
| PPD |
Purified protein derivative (of tuberculin) |
| ppm |
Parts per million |
| PR |
Per rectum |
| Pro time |
Prothrombin time |
| PSA |
Prostate specific antigen |
| psi |
Pounds persquare inch |
| PT |
Physical therapy / prothrombin time |
| PTCA |
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty |
| PTH |
Parathyroid horomone |
| PTL |
Premature labor |
| PTSD |
Post-traumatic stress disorder |
| PTSD |
Post-traumatic stress disorder |
| PTT |
Partial thromboplastin time |
| PUD |
Peptic ulcer disease |
| PVC |
Premature ventricular contraction |
