LabHelp Glossary - glossary.html

RMC LabHelp Glossary

A list of abbreviations and terms to help you jump quickly to a brief description and/or comment.

This page last updated May 1999.

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0-9

5'NT: 5'nucleotidase
5HIAA: 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid

A...

AABB: American Association of Blood Bankers
ABC: America' Blood Centers
Ab: Antibody
ASBPO: Armed Services Blood Program Office
ACD: Acid Phosphatase
ACTH: Adrenocorticotropic hormone
ADH: Antidiuretic hormone
AEM: Add/Edit Equipment (CHCS-Lab menu LLM > ECC > AEM)
AIL: Lab Accession Inquiry (CHCS-Lab menu XTR > AIL)
AFIP: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; non-maternal alphafetoprotein
Ag: Antigen
A/G ratio: Albumin/globulin ration
AIDS: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
ALP: Alkaline phosphatase
ALT: Alanine aminotransferase (formerly: serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT))
AMEDD: Army Medical Department
AML: Amylase, alpha-amylase
AP: Anatomic Pathology Service (Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology, Autopsy)
APTT: Activated partial thromboplastin time
AST: Aspartate aminotransferase (formerly: serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT))

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B...

Blood Sugar: Glucose, Glucose (Fasting), Fasting Glucose, Fasting Blood Sugar, FBS
BUN: Blood Urea Nitrogen

C...

CAP: College of American Pathologists
CBC: Complete Blood Count
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CEA: Carcinoembryonic Antigen
CK: Creatinine kinase; three isoforms are CK-MM (CK₃), CK-MB (CK₂), and CK-BB (CK₁)
CP: Central Processing (LRMC Lab); Clinical Pathology Service
CPT: Current Procedural Terminology (AMA); coding system for medical procedures
CMV: Cytomegalovirus
Crit: Hematocrit, Manual Hematocrit, HCT, MAN HCT, Spun HCT, Spun Crit, Packed Cell Volume, PCV
CRP: C-reactive protein
CSF: Cerebrospinal fluid

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D...

Digitrax: Manufacturer of Hematrax (q.v.) blood label system
dL: deciliter
DOB: Date of birth
DPALS: Department of Pathology and Area Laboratory Services

E...

EBNA: Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen
EBV: Epstein-Barr virus
EDTA: Ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (chelating anticoagulant)
EIR: Establishment Inspection Report (of Blood Services by FDA)
ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
EMIT: Enzyme-multiplied immunoasssay technique
ERMC: European Region Medical Command
ESR: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, Sed Rate

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F...

FDA (USFDA): [US] Food and Drug Administration
FSH: Follicle stimulating hormone
FT₃: Free triiodothyronine
FT₄: Free thyroxine
FTA: Fluorescent treponemal antibody
FTA-ABS: Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption
FUO: Fever of undetermined origin

G...

GFR: Glomerular filtration rate
GGT: Gamma glutamyl transferase (gamma glutamyl transpeptidase)
GI: Gastrointestinal
G-6-PD: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
GU: Genitourinary
GVH: Graft-versus-host

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H...

HAV: Hepatitis A virus
Hb: Hemoglobin
HB: Hepatitis B virus
hCG: Human chorionic gonadotropin
HCP: Health care provider
Hct: Hematocrit, "Crit", Manual Hematocrit, HCT, MAN HCT, Spun HCT, Spun Crit, Packed Cell Volume, PCV
HCV: Hepatitis C virus
HDN: Hemolytic disease of the newborn
Hematrax: The print-on-demand label system utilized at most military blood donor sites
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus; AIDS Virus
HLA: Human leucocyte antigen
HSV: Herpes simplex virus
HTLV: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus

I...

ICP: CPT Code Inquiry (CHCS-Lab menu XTR > ICP)
IDL: Intermediate density lipoproteins
Ig: Immunoglobulin
IgA: Immunoglobulin A
IgE: Immunoglobulin E
IgG: Immunoglubulin G
IgM: Immunoglobulin M
IND: Investigational New Drug Exemptions (Blood Bank)
INR: International Normalized Ratio; WHO recommended reporting units for PT results for patients on oral anticoagulant therapy; INR is the result of the patient PT/mean normal PT, exponentially equalized by the ISI.
ISI: International Sensitivity Index of the reagent/instrument combination (coagulation testing)
I.V.: Intravenous

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J...

JCAHO: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization ("Jake-O")

K...

K: Potassium (Serum), Potassium (Urine)

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L...

LAV: Lavender-color-stoppered, vacuum blood collection tube for EDTA-anticoagulated blood and plasma specimens
LD: Lactate dehydrogenase
LDL: Low density lipoproteins
LE: Lupus erythematosus
LH: Luteinizing hormone
LMP: Last menstrual period
LRMC: Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
LT. BLUE: Light-blue-color-stoppered, vacuum blood collection tube for citrate-anticoagulated blood and plasma specimens

M...

MALE/NO SEX: Lab test reference values which are not sex-specific
MARB/RED: red- or marbled-red-stoppered, vacuum blood collection tube for serum specimens
mcg: microgram
MCH: Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin
MCHC: Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration
MCV: Mean Corpuscular Volume
MEDDAC: Medical Department Activity (Army)
MEDCEN: Medical Center (Army)
mg: milligram
mL: milliliter
MLC: Mixed lymphocyte culture
mm: millimeter
MoM: Multiple of the median
mOsm: milliosmol
MTF: Medical Treatment Facility
MSAFP: Maternal Serum Alphafetoprotein
MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheets

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N...

Na: Sodium, Sodium (Serum), Sodium (Urine)
NAT: Nucleic Acid Testing (also, PCR = polymerase chain reaction)
NOS: Not otherwise specified
NTD: Neural tube defect

O...

OGTT: Oral glucose tolerance test
OIL: Lab Order Inquiry (CHCS-Lab menu XTR > OIL)
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Association

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P...

PAP: Prostatic acid phosphatase
PCR: Polymerase chain reaction (also, NAT = nucleic acid testing)
PCV: Packed Cell Volume, Hematocrit, "Crit", Manual Hematocrit, HCT, MAN HCT, Spun HCT, Spun Crit
PEP: Protein elctrophoresis; SPEP (serum protein elctrophoresis); UPEP (urine protein elctrophoresis
pg: picogram
PID: Pelvic inflammatory disease
PKU: Phenylketonuria
PNH: Paraoxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
PPD: Purified protein derivative
PRA: Plasma renin activity
PSA: Prostate-specific antigen
PTH: Parathyroid hormone

Q...

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R...

RBC: Red blood cell/corpuscle (erythrocyte)
Red cell indices: MCV, MCH, and MCHC (calculated from RBC count, hematocrit, and total hemoglobin (q.v.))
RF: Rheumatoid factor
Rh: Pertaining to Rhesus blood factor
RhIG: Rh immune globulin
RNA: Ribonucleic acid
RPR: Rapid plasma reagin (see syphilis testing)
RSV: Respiratory syncitial virus

S...

SCR: System Change Request (for CHCS, CoPath, DBSS), official process for requesting modification or repair of software performance for non-emergency situations (viz., no threat or endangerment to life, limb, or bodily function); see also, System Incident Report (SIR)
Sed Rate: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, ESR
SGOT: Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase; former name for aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
SGPT: Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase; former name for alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
SIR: System Incident Report (for CHCS, CoPath, DBSS), official process for requesting modification or repair of software performance for emergency situations (viz., threat or endangerment to life, limb, or bodily function exists because of an information system deficiency); see also System Change Request (SCR)
SLE: Systemic lupus erythematosus
SMA [C]: Sequential Multiple Analyzer [Computerized]; tradename for early chemistry analyzer; now taken to imply a standard panel of chemistry tests
SOP: Standing operating procedure; also, "standard" operating procedure
Stat: (from Latin "statim") without delay; immediately
STH: Somatotropic hormone

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T...

T₃: Triiodothyronine
T₃UR: T₃ uptake ratio
T₄: Thyroxine
TBG: Thyroxine binding globulin
TH: Thyroid Hormone
TORCH: Toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, syphilis, and herpes simplex (test panel)
TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

U...

U: International unit; UI
UE3: Unconjugated [free] estriol
UBDC: USAREUR Blood Donor Center
US: Ultrasound
USAREUR: United States Army Europe

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V...

VDRL: Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (test for syphilis)
VLDL: Ver low-density lipoproteins

W...

WBC: White blood cells

X, Y, Z ...

Y2K: Year 2000; pertains to concerns for durability of electronic data and communications which are sensitive to date storage formats defined by the last two digits of the year value (e.g., 99 as a representation of 1999)

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