| Abbrev. |
Meaning |
| p |
after (from Latin post)
[letter p with a bar over it] |
| P |
parturition (total number of live births)
phosphorus
pulse
post |
| PA |
posterior-anterior, posteroanterior
pulmonary artery
physician assistant |
| P&A |
percussion and auscultation |
| PAC |
premature atrial contraction
pulmonary artery catheter, pulmonary artery catheterisation |
| PAD |
peripheral artery disease (aka peripheral artery occlusive disease) |
| PAF |
platelet activating factor
paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (meaning intermittent AF) |
| PAH |
pulmonary arterial hypertension
phenylalanine hydroxylase |
| PAI-1 |
plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 |
| PAL |
posterior axillary line |
| PALS |
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (training program) |
| PAN |
polyarteritis nodosa |
| PAO |
peak acid output |
| PAOD |
peripheral artery occlusive disease |
| PAP |
Papanicolaou stain
positive airway pressure
pulmonary artery pressure (see pulmonary hypertension)
pulmonary alveolar proteinosis |
| Pap |
Papanicolaou test (pap smear) |
| PARA I |
indicating a woman with one child (partus = birth) |
| PARA II |
indicating a woman with two children (partus = birth) |
| PAT |
paroxysmal atrial tachycardia |
| PBF |
peripheral blood film |
| p.c. |
after food (from Latin post cibum)
after meals |
| PCA |
patient-controlled analgesia |
| PCa |
prostate cancer |
| PCD |
postconcussional disorder
primary ciliary dyskinesia |
| PCI |
percutaneous coronary intervention |
| PCL |
posterior cruciate ligament |
| PCN |
penicillin |
| PCNSL |
primary CNS (central nervous system) lymphoma |
| PCO |
polycystic ovary (see polycystic ovarian syndrome) |
| PCOS |
polycystic ovarian syndrome |
| PCP |
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (now called Pneumocystis pneumonia)
primary care physician (also called primary care provider) |
| PCR |
patient care report
polymerase chain reaction |
| PCS |
post-concussion syndrome |
| PCV |
packed cell volume (see hematocrit)
polycythemia vera |
| PCWP |
pulmonary capillary wedge pressure |
| PD |
Parkinson's disease
peritoneal dialysis
physical diagnosis |
| PDA |
patent ductus arteriosus
posterior descending artery |
| PDE |
phosphodiesterase |
| PDGF |
platelet-derived growth factor |
| PDR |
Physicians' Desk Reference |
| PDT |
photodynamic therapy |
| PE |
pulmonary embolism
pre-eclampsia
physical examination |
| PEA |
pulseless electrical activity |
| PEEP |
positive end expiratory pressure |
| PEF |
peak expiratory flow |
| PEFR |
peak expiratory flow rate |
| PEG |
percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy |
| pen |
penicillin (Best practice is to avoid drug name abbreviations) |
| PEP |
postexposure prophylaxis |
| PERRL |
pupils equal, round, reactive to light (e.g., "pupils PERRL") |
| PERLA |
pupils equal and reactive to light and accommodation |
| PERRLA |
pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation |
| Per Vag |
per vagina |
| PET |
positron-emission tomography (cerebral metabolic scan) |
| PFO |
patent foramen ovale |
| PFT |
pulmonary function test (see spirometry) |
| PGCS |
Paediatric Glasgow Coma Scale |
| PH |
pulmonary hypertension
past history (see medical history) |
| PHx |
past history (see medical history) |
| PHTLS |
prehospital trauma life support |
| PI |
present illness |
| PICC |
peripherally inserted central catheter |
| PID |
pelvic inflammatory disease
prolapsed intervertibral disc |
| PIH |
pregnancy induced hypertension |
| PIP |
proximal interphalangeal joint |
| PKA |
protein kinase A |
| PKD |
polycystic kidney disease |
| PKU |
phenylketonuria (PKU card—see Guthrie test) |
| PLAT |
tissue plasminogen activator |
| PLIF |
posterior lumbar interbody fusion (a type of spinal fusion) |
| PLT |
platelets |
| PM |
post meridiem (in the afternoon) |
| PMB |
post-menopausal bleeding (bleeding after menopause) |
| PMH |
past medical history
perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage |
| PMI |
point of maximal impulse or apical beat
point of maximal intensity |
| PML |
polyoma virus |
| PMP |
Pseudomyxoma peritonei |
| PMN |
polymorphonuclear leukocytes, that is, neutrophils |
| PMR |
percutaneous myocardial revascularization
polymyalgia rheumatica |
| PM&R |
physical medicine and rehabilitation |
| PND |
paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
postnasal drip |
| PNH |
paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria |
| PNM |
perinatal mortality |
| PO |
by mouth, that is, orally (from Latin per os) |
| POD |
postoperative days |
| poly |
polymorphonuclear cells, that is, neutrophils |
| Post |
posterior (see anatomical terms of location) |
| POX |
peroxidase |
| PP |
pulse pressure
postpartum, that is, postnatal |
| PPCS |
prolonged post-concussion syndrome |
| PPD |
packs per day (cigarettes)
postpartum depression, that is, postnatal depression
purified protein derivative or Mantoux test, for tuberculosis testing |
| PPH |
postpartum haemorrhage
primary pulmonary hypertension
procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids |
| PPI |
proton pump inhibitor |
| PPROM |
preterm premature rupture of membranes |
| PPS |
post-polio syndrome |
| Ppt |
precipitate
precipitating |
| PPTCT |
prevention of parent-to-child transmission [of HIV] (government of India initiative) |
| PPTL |
postpartum tubal ligation |
| PR |
prothrombin ratio |
| p.r. |
per rectum (as noun: rectal examination) |
| PRA |
plasma renin activity |
PRBC
PRBCs |
packed red blood cells |
| Preme |
premature infant (see premature birth) |
| Prep |
preparation |
| PRIND |
prolonged reversible ischemic neurologic deficit |
prn
PRN |
as necessary (from Latin pro re nata) (if used in chronic pain control, sometimes disparagingly termed "pain relief nil")
as needed |
| Prog |
prognosis |
| PROM |
premature rupture of membranes |
| PRP |
panretinal photocoagulation
progressive rubella panencephalitis |
| PRV |
polycythemia rubra vera (see polycythemia vera) |
| PSA |
prostate-specific antigen |
| PSGN |
poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis |
| PSH |
psychosocial history
past medical history |
| PSP |
phenylsulphtalein |
| PSS |
progressive systemic sclerosis (see scleroderma) |
| PT |
prothrombin time
physical therapy (physiotherapy) |
| Pt. |
patient (from Latin patiens, meaning “one who endures” or “one who suffers”) |
| PTA |
percutaneous transluminal angioplasty
post-traumatic amnesia
prior to admission |
| PTB |
pulmonary tuberculosis |
| PTC |
percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography |
| PTCA |
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty |
| PTD |
prior to discharge |
| PTH |
parathyroid hormone |
| PTHC |
percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography |
| PTSD |
posttraumatic stress disorder |
| PTSS |
posttraumatic stress syndrome (see posttraumatic stress disorder) |
| PTT |
partial thromboplastin time |
| PTx |
pneumothorax |
| PUD |
peptic ulcer disease |
| PUO |
pyrexia of unknown origin |
| PUVA |
psoralen UV A (photochemical ultraviolet light A waves) |
| p.v. |
per vagina (as noun: vaginal examination with manual examination and speculum inspection) |
| PVC (VPC) |
premature ventricular contraction |
| PVD |
peripheral vascular disease |
| PVFS |
post-viral fatigue syndrome |
| PVR |
pulmonary vascular resistance |
| PVS |
persistent vegetative state
pulmonary valve stenosis
Plummer-Vinson syndrome |
| PWP |
pulmonary wedge pressure |
Px
px |
physical examination |
| Px |
prognosis |
| P-Y |
pack-years (years of smoking one package of cigarettes per day) |
| PZA |
pyrazinamide |
