Symbols and abbreviations

increased

normal

leading to

warning

important

don't dawdle

cross reference

female

male

primary

secondary

less than

more than

equal to or greater than

equal to or less than

per cent

approximately

approximately equals to

alpha

beta

degree Celsius

abdominal aortic aneurysm

arterial blood gas

Accident and Emergency Department

ankle–brachial pressure index

Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis Study

angiotensin-converting enzyme

acetylcholine

acetylcholinesterase

acromioclavicular joint

anterior cruciate ligament

Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial

adrenocorticotropic hormone

antidiuretic hormone

adenosine diphosphate

atrial fibrillation

alpha-fetoprotein

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

anal intraepithelial neoplasia

above-knee amputation

acute lung injury

advanced life support

ante meridiem

ampere

allergy/medication/past medical history/last meal/events of the incident

abnormalities of normal development and involution (of breast)

antinuclear factor

aldosterone-producing adenoma

Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation

antigen-presenting cell or argon plasma coagulation

abdominoperineal resection

activated partial thromboplastin time ratio

activated partial thromboplastin time

aortic regurgitation

acute respiratory distress syndrome

absolute risk reduction or aldosterone/renin ratio

5-aminosalicyclic acid

assisted spontaneous breathing

anti-thymocyte globulin

advanced trauma life support

adenosine triphosphate

acute urinary retention

arteriovenous or atrioventricular

arteriovenous malformation

avascular necrosis

adrenal venous sampling

abdominal X-ray

basal cell carcinoma

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin

B-cell receptor

beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin

biphasic positive airway pressure

below-knee amputation

body mass index

British Medical Journal

British National Formulary

blood pressure

benign prostatic hyperplasia

blood sugar

body surface area

balanitis xerotica obliterans

calcium

coronary artery bypass graft

coronary artery disease

continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

continuous arteriovenous haemofiltration

cardiopulmonary bypass

congestive cardiac failure

cellular differentiation (molecule)

congenital dysplasia of the hip

Clostridium difficile toxin

carcinoembryonic antigen or carotid endarterectomy

cystic fibrosis

colony-forming unit

confidence interval

chloride

critical limb ischaemia

centimetre

cell-mediated immune (reaction)

cytomegalovirus or controlled mechanical ventilation

calcineurin inhibitor

central nervous system

criminal negligence scheme for Trusts

cardiac output

carbon dioxide

chronic obstructive airway disease

combined oral contraceptive

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

continuous positive airway pressure

cardiopulmonary bypass

cysts, parasites, and ova

cardiopulmonary resuscitation

creatinine

colorectal cancer

C-reactive protein

cerebrospinal fluid

cervical spine

computerized tomography

CT angiography

computerized tomography pulmonary angiography

copper

central venous

cerebrovascular accident

central venous pressure

continuous venovenous haemofiltration

circumflex

chest X-ray

two-dimensional

three-dimensional

dopamine

dysplasia-associated lesion or mass

donor after brainstem death

direct current

donor after circulatory death

ductal carcinoma in situ

1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin

developmental dysplasia of the hip

dynamic hip screw

dihydrotestosterone

disseminated intravascular coagulation

deep inferior epigastric perforator (flap)

distal interphalangeal joint

decilitre

diabetes mellitus

dimercaptosuccinate

deoxyribonucleic acid

do not resuscitate

Department of Health

distal phalanx or diastolic pressure

2,3-diphosphoglycerate

diagnostic peritoneal lavage

distal radioulnar joint

digital subtraction angiography

diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid

deep venous thrombosis

Epstein–Barr virus

extracelllular fluid

electrocardiogram

European Cardiac Surgery Trial

erectile dysfunction

exempli gratia (for example)

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

electromechanical delay

electromyography

endocospic mucosal resection

(o)estrogen-containing contraceptive pill

extensor pollicis longus

erythropoietin

(o)estrogen receptor

enhanced recovery after surgery

endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

endoscopic sphincterotomy

endoscopic submucosal dissection

erythrocyte sedimentation rate

extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

endotracheal tube

examination under anaesthetic

endoscopic ultrasound

endovascular aneurysm repair

endovenous laser therapy

familial adenomatous polyposis

focused abdominal sonography for trauma

full blood count

flexor digitorum profundus

flexor digitorum superficialis

forced expiratory volume in 1 second

fresh frozen plasma

fraction of oxygen in inspired air

fibrolamellar carcinoma

fine needle aspiration biopsy

fine needle aspiration cytology

flexor pollicis longus

follicle-stimulating hormone

5-fluorouracil

gram

gauge

general anaesthetic

gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumour

Glasgow coma scale

glomerular filtration rate

gamma glutamyl transferase

growth hormone

gastrointestinal

gastric inhibitory polypeptide

gastrointestinal stromal tumour

General Medical Council

gastro-oesophageal reflux

general practitioner

glyceryl trinitrate

gray

hour

hepatic artery thrombosis

haemoglobin

hepatocellular carcinoma

human chorionic gonadotrophin

bicarbonate

hepatitis C virus

high dependency unit

hydroxyethyl starch

heavy goods vehicle

handheld Doppler

hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid

heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis

human immunodeficiency virus

human leucocyte antigen

4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid

hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer

water

human papilloma virus

heart rate

hormone replacement therapy

herpes simplex virus

5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin)

human T-cell lymphocytotrophic virus

homovanillic acid

intra-aortic balloon pump

intermittent claudication

internal carotid artery

intracardiac defibrillator

intracranial pressure

intensive care unit

id est (that is)

intrinsic factor

insulin growth factor

ischaemic heart disease

intramuscular

inferior mesenteric artery

intramedullary hip screw

inch

intermittent negative pressure ventilation

international normalized ratio

interphalangeal joint

intermittent positive pressure ventilation

international prostate symptom score

internal thoracic artery

intensive treatment unit

international unit

intravenous

intravenous urogram

joule

Joint Committee on Higher Surgical Training

jugular venous pressure

potassium

kilocalorie

potassium chloride

kilogram

kilopascal

kidneys/ureters/bladder

litre

local anaesthetic or left atrium/atrial

left anterior descending (artery)

left atrial pressure

latex agglutination test

pound

lactate dehydrogenase

low density lipid

laparoscopic and endoscopic single site (surgery)

liver function test

luteinizing hormone

luteinizing hormone releasing hormone

lithium

left iliac fossa

left internal thoracic artery

left main stem

low molecular weight heparin

lower oesophageal sphincter

long saphenous vein

left upper quadrant

lower urinary tract symptoms

left ventricle

left ventricular end-diastolic pressure

left ventricular end-diastolic volume

left ventricular failure

metre

^99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine

mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue

monoamine oxidase

mean arterial pressure

metacarpophalangeal joint

magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography

microscopy, culture, and sensitivity

mean cell volume

multidisciplinary team

multiple endocrine neoplasia

milliequivalent

milligram

magnesium

major histocompatibility complex

megahertz

myocardial infarction

meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine

minute

minimally invasive parathyroidectomy

mechanism of injury/injuries identified/(vital)signs at scene/treatment administered

millilitre

mycophenolate mofetil

millimetre mercury

millimole

mismatch repair (genes)

mandatory minute ventilation

manganese

multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

mile per hour

mitral regurgitation

magnetic resonance angiography

Medical Research Council (scale)

magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogram

magnetic resonance imaging

millisecond

methicillin (or multiply) resistant Staphylococcus aureus

midstream urine

medullary thyroid carcinoma

mammalian target of rapamycin

mid-thigh perforator

metatarsophalangeal joint

manipulation under anaesthesia

mitral valve

sodium

noradrenaline (norepinephrine)

sodium bicarbonate

non-accidental injury

North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial

nil by mouth

National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes and Death

necrotizing enterocolitis

nanogram

nasogastric

nasogastric tube

National Health Service

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

non-invasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation

natural killer (cell)

number needed to treat

nitrous oxide

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug

National Service Framework

non-seminomatous germ cell tumour

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

neurovascular bundle

new variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease

New York Heart Association

oxygen

oral contraceptive pill

omne in die (once a day)

oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy

obtuse marginal

orthopantomogram

open reduction with internal fixation

pulmonary artery or posterior-anterior

plasma aldosterone concentration

arterial carbon dioxide tension

platelet-activating factor

primary hyperaldosteronism

arterial oxygen tension

pulmonary artery pressure or placental alkaline phosphatase

patient administration system

pulmonary artery wedge pressure

patient-controlled analgesia

percutaneous coronary intervention

percutaneous nephrolithotomy

carbon dioxide tension

polymerase chain reaction

packed cell volume or pressure control ventilation

posterior descending artery

platelet-derived growth factor

pulmonary embolism

positive end-expiratory pressure

peak expiratory flow rate

percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

post-exposure prophylaxis

positron emission tomography

Postgraduate medical education

portal hypertension

primary hyperparathyroidism

peripherally inserted central venous catheter

pelvic inflammatory disease

proximal interphalangeal joint

posterior longitudinal ligament

Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board

polymorphonuclear neutrophil

orally (per os)

oxygen tension

phosphate

Physiologic and Operative Severity Score for the enumeration of Mortality and morbidity

procedure for prolapse and haemorrhoids

proton pump inhibitor

peripheral parenteral nutrition

per rectum

pro re rata (as required)

pressure support

prostate-specific antigen

posterior sagittal anorectoplasty

prothrombin time

percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram

pulmonary thromboembolism

polytetrafluoroethylene

parathyroid hormone

post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder

partial prothrombin time

pelviureteric junction

per vagina

peripheral vascular disease

pulmonary vascular resistance

pulmonary vascular resistance index

quater die sumandus (four times a day)

right atrial or rheumatoid arthritis

right atrial pressure

right coronary artery

randomized controlled trial

rhesus

recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone

right iliac fossa

recurrent laryngeal nerve

ribonucleic acid

relative risk or risk ratio

relative risk reduction

relaxed skin tension line

road traffic accident

right upper quadrant

right ventricle

second

sinoatrial (node)

specialist advisory committee

arterial oxygen saturation

subacute bacterial endocarditis

subcutaneous

sheep cell agglutination test

squamous cell carcinoma

spinal cord injury

sternocleidomastoid

standard deviation

self-expanding metal stenting

subfascial endoscopic perforator ligation

superficial femoral artery

saphenofemoral junction

single incision laparoscopic surgery

synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation

systemic inflammatory response syndrome

sublingual

systemic lupus erythematosus

superior mesenteric artery

sodium nitroprusside

saphenopopliteal junction

species

sodium tetradecyl sulphate

ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

sexually transmitted infection

slipped upper femoral epiphysis

stroke volume

superior vena cava

stroke volume index

percentage oxygen saturation of mixed venous haemoglobin

systemic vascular resistance

systemic vascular resistance index

supraventricular tachycardia

triiodothyronine

thyroxine

transversus abdominis percutaneous

transabdominal pre-peritoneal surgery

tuberculosis

total body surface area

transitional cell carcinoma

T-cell receptor

transitional cell tumour

ter die sumendus (three times a day)

thromboembolic deterrent stockings

transanal endoscopic microsurgery

totally extra-peritoneal surgery

triangular fibrocartilage complex

thyroid function test

transforming growth factor

total hip replacement

transient ischaemic attack

total iron binding capacity

transjugular intraparenchymal portosystemic shunt/stent

through-knee amputation

total knee replacement

thoracolumbar spine orthosis

tarsometatarsal

tumour necrosis factor

tumour nodes metastasis (cancer staging)

tissue plasminogen activator

total parenteral nutrition

transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (flap)

transrectal ultrasound

thyroid-stimulating hormone

thrombin time or total thyroidectomy

transthoracic echocardiogram

transurethral incision in the prostate

transurethral resection of the prostate

transversalis fascia

(international) units

upper aerodigestive tract

urea and electrolytes

ulcerative colitis

ulnar collateral ligament

unfractionated heparin

United Kingdom

upper oesophageal sphincter

United States of America

urinary tract infection

ultraviolet

volts

vertebral defects/anorectal atresia/cardiac defects/tracheo-oesophageal fistula ± (o)esophageal atresia/renal anomalies/limb defects

ventricular assist device

video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

ventricular fibrillation

von Hippel–Lindau (disease)

vasoactive inhibitory polypeptide

vanillylmandelic acid

ventilation/perfusion (scan)

vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus

ventricular tachycardia

venous thromboembolism

von Willebrand factor

white cell count

World Health Organization

year