The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Abbreviations and Acronyms

 

'a	before
AAT	auscultated acceleration test
aa	of each
ac	before meals
abd	abdomen
ABC	alternative birth center
accel	acceleration of fetal heart rate (FHR)
ad lib	as desired
aq	water
AFP	alpha fetoprotein (test)
AMA	against medical advice
AROM	artificial rupture of (fetal) membranes
bid	two times per day
bl	baseline
bm	bowel movement
bmr	basal metabolic rate
bow	bag of waters
bbow	bulging bag of waters
bbv	beat to beat variability (FHR)
bp	blood pressure
bpm	beats per minute
br	breech
BV	bacterial vaginosis
'c	with
C	Celsius
CBC	complete blood count
cc	chief complaint
cc	cubic centimeter
CMV	cytomegalovirus
CM	certified midwife
CNS	central nervous system
C0 2	carbon dioxide
c/o	complains of
CPD	cephalopelvic disproportion
CPR	cardiopulmonary resuscitation
C/S	cesarean section
CST	contraction stress test
CVA	cerebrovascular anomaly
CVA	costovertebral angle
CX	cervix
D&C	dilation and curettage
dc	discontinue
decels	deceleration of FHT
DEM	direct entry midwife
DIC	disseminated intravascular coagulation
dil	dilation
DM	diabetes mellitus
DNKA	Did not keep appointment
DPT	diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus
dr	dram
DTR	deep tendon reflex
DX	diagnosis
EBL	estimated blood loss
EDD	estimated due date
EDB	estimated date of birth
ENT	ear-nose-throat
eff	effacement
EFM	electronic fetal monitor
EFW	estimated fetal weight
EGA	estimated gestational age
epis	episiotomy
ext	extract
F	Fahrenheit
FB	finger breadths
FHT	fetal heart tones
FHR	fetal heart rate
FM	fetal movement
FMC	fetal movement count
FUO	fever of unknown origins
G	gravida
GC	gonorrhea culture
GFT or GTT?	drops
GI	gastrointestinal
GTT	glucose tolerance test
GU	genitourinary
GYN	gynecology
H	hour
Hb or HGB	hemoglobin
HCT	hematocrit
Hx	history
h.s.	at bedtime (hora somnii)
IM	intramuscular
IUP	intrauterine pregnancy
I & O	in and out
inf.	infusion
IUD	intrauterine device
IUFD	intrauterine fetal death
IUGR	intrauterine growth retardation
L	left
LB lb	pound
LBW	low birth weight
LDEM	licensed direct entry midwife
LGA	large for gestational age
LM	licensed midwife
LMA	left mentum anterior
LMP	last menstrual period
LMP	left mentum posterior
LMT	left mentum transverse
LNMP	last normal menstrual period
LOA	left occipital anterior
LOP	left occipital posterior
LOT	left occipital transverse
L/S	lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio
LSA	left sacrum anterior
LSP	left sacrum posterior
LST	left sacrum transverse
mec	meconium
mec st	meconium staining
Meth	methergine
MTLP	metabolic toxemia of late pregnancy
multip	multipara
MW	midwife
mcg	microgram
mg	milligram
ml	milliliter
neg	negative
NGU	nongonococcal urethritis
NKA	none known about
NKA	no known allergies
NKDA	No known drug allergy.
NPO	nothing by mouth
N/R	nonreactive
NST	nonstress test
NSVB	normal spontaneous vaginal birth
N/V	nausea/vomiting
02	oxygen
OA	occiput anterior
OB	obstetrics/obstetrician
OCT	oxytocin challenge test
OOP	out of the pelvis
OP	occiput posterior
Oz	ounce
os	opening
OTC	over the counter
'p	after
PERLA	pupils equal and reactive to light, asymmetrical
PERRLA	pupils equal, round, react to light, accommodation
PPhem	postpartum hemorrhage
P	para
P	pulse
PAP	Papanicolaou smear
'pc	after meal
Ped	pediatrician/pediatrics
PID	pelvic inflammatory disease
PIH	pregnancy induced hypertension
Pit	pitocin
PKU	phenylketonuria
pos	positive
p.r.n.	as needed
po	by mouth
premie	premature infant
primip	primipara
PROM	premature rupture of the (fetal) membranes
PROM	prolonged rupture of the (fetal) membranes
PTT	partial thromboplastin test
QOD	every other day
q	every
q.d.	every day
q.h.	every hour
q 2h	every 2 hours
qid	four times per day
q.s	quantity sufficient
q.v.	as much
R	right
RBC	red blood cell (count)
RDA	recommended daily allowance
RDS	respiratory distress syndrome
RMA	right mentum anterior
RMP	right mentum posterior
RMT	right mentum transverse
RSA	right sacrum anterior
R/O	rule out
ROM	rupture of (fetal) membranes
ROP	right occiput posterior
ROT	right occiput transverse
ROS	review of symptoms
RPR	rapid plasma reagin (syphilis test)
Rx	treatment
SAB	spontaneous abortion (miscarriage)
's	without
Sig	write
SGA	small for gestational age
SIDS	sudden infant death syndrome
SOAP	subjective, objective, analysis, plan
S.O.S	single dose only
SROM	spontaneous rupture of (the fetal) membranes
St	stage
sta	station
STD	sexually transmitted disease
Sp gr	specific gravity
s.s.	one half
stat	immediately
Sx	symptom
S>D	size is greater than dates
S<D	size is small for dates
TAB	therapeutic abortion
TC	telephone conversation
t.i.d.	three time a day
TOP	termination of pregnancy
TORCH	toxoplasmosis, other, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes
TPR	temperature, pulse, respirations
TSS	toxic shock syndrome
u/a	urinalysis
U	unit
UC	uterine contractions
U/S	ultrasound
UTI	urinary tract infection
VBAC	vaginal birth after cesarean section
V.S.	vital signs
VDRL	venereal disease research lab
VE	vacuum extractor
VTX	vertex
WBC	white blood cells
WIC	women, infants and children
WNL	within normal limits
Wt	weight
@	at
X	times
<	less than
>	greater than
arrow up	increase
arrow down	decrease
+	positive
-	negative
=	equal