Chapter 3 Medical Abbreviations & Symbols (PDF)

# Pronunciation, abbreviations & symbols in medicine ## Chapter 1: Medical abbreviations/Acronyms - Abbreviation/Acronym: A shortened form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole. - Abbreviations help to speed up documentation. - In most cases the first letter of each word is used. ###...

# Pronunciation, abbreviations & symbols in medicine ## Chapter 1: Medical abbreviations/Acronyms - Abbreviation/Acronym: A shortened form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole. - Abbreviations help to speed up documentation. - In most cases the first letter of each word is used. ### Examples: | Abbreviation/Acronym | Meaning | | :-------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | AIDS | Acquired immune deficiency syndrome | | CHD | Coronary heart disease | | ACTH | Adrenocorticotropic hormone | | ESR | Erythrocyte sedimentation rate | | FBG | Fasting blood glucose | | D or Qd | Every day (die) | | T.i.d | Three times a day (ter in die) | | IV | Intravenous | | SC | Subcutaneous | | PO | By mouth (per os) | | B.i.d | Twice a day (bis in die) | | Q.i.d | Four times a day (quarter in die) | | IM | Intramuscular | | ID | Intradermal | | Rx | Prescription (recipe) | ### Note It is also believed that the Rx symbol evolved from the Eye of Horus, an ancient Egyptian symbol associated with healing powers. ## Electro/cardio/gram (رسم قلب) - ECG ## Cerebrospinal fluid (سائل يحيط بالمخ) - CSF ## Blood pressure (قياس ضغط الدم) - BP ## Diabetes mellitus (مرض السكر) - DM ## Central nervous system (المخ والحبل الشوكي) - CNS ## Heart rate (معدل ضربات القلب) - HR ## Some commonly used symbols in medicine | Symbol | Meaning | Symbol | Meaning | | :------ | :------------------------------------------- | :------ | :------------------------------- | | - | minus, negative | + | plus, positive | | ± | plus or minus; either positive or negative; indefinite | = | equals | | ≈ | approximately equal | % | percent | | # | number | ÷/\ | divided by | | x | multiplied by; magnification | R (or Rx) | prescription, treatment | | → | to, in the direction of | ° | degree | | ↑ | increase(d), up | ↓ | decrease(d), down | | ♀ | female | ♂ | male | | Ø | no | | | ## Chapter 3: Pronunciation Guidelines ### The letters ae and oe - Only the second vowel is pronounced. ### Example - Bursa: A closed, fluid-filled sac that works to reduce friction between tissues of the body. - Roentgen: Unit of radiation. ### Letter C - The soft sound of s is given to, before e, i, and y in words of Greek or Latin origin. - Example: - Cerebrum - Circumcision - Cycle ### The letters ch - Are sometimes pronounced like k. - Example: - Cholera: زيادة العصارة الصفراويه - Cholesterol: في الدم نتيجة مشكله في الكبد - Cholemia ### Letter i - When i appears at the end of a word (to form a plural), it is pronounced eye. - Example: - Bronchi - Fungi: فطريات - Nuclei ### The letters ps - When ps appears at the beginning of a word, p is silent and only s is pronounced. - Example: - Psychology: The study of mental characteristics - Psychosis: Disconnection from reality: الشخص مش قادر يميز بين الحقيقه وغير الحقيقه ### Letter G - The soft sound of j is given to g, before e, i, and y in words of Greek or Latin origin. - Example: - Gel, Giant - Gingivitis: التهاب اللثه - Gyrate: ضمور في العين - Before letters other than e, i, and y, g has a hard sound. - Example: - Gastric: gastr means stomach - Gonad: الاعضاء التناسليه: primary reproductive organs, are the testes in the male and the ovaries in the female ### The letters pn - When pn appears at the beginning of a word, p is silent and only n is pronounced. - Example: - Pneumonia: التهاب في الرئة - Pneumotoxin : تاثیر مواد سامه على الرئه - When pn appears in the middle of a word, p and n are pronounced. - Example: - Orthopnea: مشكله في تنفس الشخص وهو نايم على ظهره لما يرفع راسه بحاجه بيبقى كويس - Hyperpnea: الشخص بيتنفس بعمق ### Letter e and es - When forming the final letter(s) of a word, e and es are commonly pronounced as separate syllables. - Example: - Systole: Period of contraction of the ventricles of the heart: ضغط الدم الانقباضي - Syncope: Fainting: فقد الشخص لتوازنه ويغمى عليه - Metastases: انتشار السرطان لمكان اخر غير الى طالع منه ### Note - All other vowels and consonants have normal English sounds.