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50+ OET Vocabulary: Abbreviations

Apr 17 2022

OET

Here are some of the most commonly used abbreviations for OET. These will help you respond better to questions in the test which often use many of these abbreviations.

50+ OET Vocabulary: Abbreviations - First Academy

In the writing section of OET, test takers are often presented with case notes. In order to perform well on the Writing task, it is important to understand these case notes and to plan your response. And since you are expected to select only that information which is relevant to the reader understanding abbreviations becomes imperative.

Here is a list of abbreviations that are commonly used across the OET writing prompts and are also approved by the National Health Service - UK.

Abbreviation	Meaning
#	fracture
A&E	accident and emergency
a.c	before meals
AF	atrial fibrillation
APTT	activated partial thromboplastin time
ASQ	ages and stages questionnaire
b.d.s, bds, BDS	2 times a day
b.i.d., bid, bd	twice a day / twice daily / 2 times daily
BNO	bowels not open
BO	bowels open
c/c	chief complaint
CMHN	community mental health nurse
CPN	community psychiatric nurse
CSF	cerebrospinal fluid
CSU	catheter stream urine sample
CVP	central venous pressure
DNACPR	do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation
DNAR	do not attempt resuscitation
DNR	do not resuscitate
DVT	deep vein thrombosis
Dx	diagnosis
EMU	early morning urine sample
ESR	erythrocyte sedimentation rate
EUA	examination under anaesthetic
FBC	full blood count
FY1 FY2	foundation doctor
GA	general anaesthetic
gtt., gtt	drop(s)
h., h	hour
h/o	history of
Hb	haemoglobin
HCA	healthcare assistant
HCSW	healthcare support worker
HDL	high-density lipoprotein
HRT	hormone replacement therapy
Ht	height
Hx	history
i	1 tablet
ii	2 tablets
iii	3 tablets
i.m., IM	injection into a muscle (intra muscular)
i.v., IV	injection directly to a vein (intra venous)
INR	international normalised ratio
IVI	intravenous infusion
IVP	intravenous pyelogram
Ix	investigations
LA	local anaesthetic
LDL	low-density lipoprotein
LFT	liver function test
LMP	last menstrual period
M/R	modified release
MRI	magnetic resonance imaging
MRSA	methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus
MSU	mid-stream urine sample
n.p.o., npo, NPO	nothing by mouth / not by oral administration
NAD	nothing abnormal discovered
NAI	non-accidental injury
NBM	nil by mouth
NG	nasogastric
nocte	every night
NoF	neck of femur
NSAID	non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
o.d., od, OD	once a day
o/e	on examination
OT	occupational therapist
p.c.	after food
p.m., pm, PM	afternoon or evening
p.o., po, PO	orally / by mouth / oral administration
p.r., pr, PR	rectally
p.r.n., prn, PRN	as needed (also pertactin, a key antigen of ac. pertussis vaccine)
p/c	presenting complaint
POP	plaster of paris
PTT	partial thromboplastin time
PU	passed urine
q.	every
q.1.d., q1d	every day
q.1.h., q1h	every hour
q.2.h., q2h	every 2 hours
q.4.h., q4h	every 4 hours
q.6.h., q6h	every 6 hours
q.8.h., q8h	every 8 hours
q.d., qd	every day / daily
q.d.s, qds, QDS	4 times a day
q.h., qh	every hour, hourly
q.i.d, qid	4 times a day
q.o.d., qod	every other day / alternate days
q.s., qs	a sufficient quantity (enough)
RN	registered nurse
RNLD	learning disability nurse (Registered Nurse for Learning Disabilities)
ROSC	return of spontaneous circulation
RTA	road traffic accident
Rx	treatment
s.c., SC	injection under the skin
S/R	sustained release
SLT	speech and language therapist
SpR	specialist registrar
stat.	immediately, with no delay, now
STEMI	ST-elevation myocardial infarction
t.d.s, tds, TDS	3 times a day
t.i.d., tid	3 times a day
TCI	to come in
TFT	thyroid function test
TPN	total parenteral nutrition
TPR	temperature, pulse and respiration
TTA	to take away
TTO	to take out
U&E	urea and electrolytes
u.d., ud	as directed
UCC	urgent care centre
UTI	urinary tract infection
VLDL	very-low density lipoprotein
VTE	venous thromboembolism
Wt	weight