(IN PROGRESS - feel free to edit/add to this!)

When you first start midwifery training, it can feel as though you need to learn a whole new language. Listed below are some of the more common abbreviations you may see or hear on placement. Some of the terms are in brown - click on these if you want to go to the glossary description.


AF - Artificial Feed
ANC - Antenatal Clinic
ANP - Advanced Neonatal Practitioner
APH - Antepartum Haemorrhage
ARM - Artificial Rupture of Membranes
BAT - Brown Adipose Tissue
BBA - Born before Arrival
BCP - Biochemical profile
BD - Twice Daily
BF - Breast Feeding
BFI - Baby Friendly Initiative
BMI - Body Mass Index
BNO - Bowels Not Open
BO - Had Bowels Open
BP - Blood Pressure
BPM – Beats per minute
CCT - Controlled Cord Traction
CEMACH - Confidential Enquiry into Materal and Child Health
CESDI - Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirth and Deaths in Infancy
CSU - Catheter Specimen of Urine
CTG - Cardiotocograph
CS - Caesarean Section
C and S - Culture and Specimen
CVS - Chorionic Villus Sampling
CX - Cervix
D & C - Dilatation and Curettage
D & V - Diarrhoea and Vommiting
DIC - Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
DNA - Did Not Attend
DTA - Deep Transverse Arrest
DVT - Deep Vein Thrombosis
EBM - Expressd Breast Milk
ECV - External Cephalic Version
EDD - Estimated Date of Delivery
EFM – Electronic fetal monitoring
EFW - Estimated Fetal Weight
Epis - Episiotomy
EMLSCS - Emergency Lower Segment Caesarean Section
ERPC - Evacuation of Retained Products of Conception
FAS - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
FBC - Full Blood Count
FBS - Fetal Blood Sample
FE – Iron
FGM – Female Genital Mutilation
FHR - Fetal Heart Rate
FHHR - Fetal Heart Heard Regular
FMF - Fetal Movements Felt
FSE - Fetal Scalp Electrode
GA – General anaesthtic
G and S - Group and Save
GBS - Group B Streptococcus
GI - Gastro-intestinal
GTT - Glucose Tolerance Test
HAI - Hospital Acquired Infection
HB - Haemoglobin
HBAC - Home Birth After Caesarean
HFFD - Haigh Ferguson Forceps Delivery
HELLP - Haemolysis, Elevated Liver Proteins and Low Platelets
HR - Heart Rate
HPV - Human Papilloma Virus
HVS - High Vaginal Swab
HSE - Health and Safety Executive
HSV - Herpes Simplex Virus
HX - History of...
I/P - Intrapartum
IOL - Induction of Labour
IM – Intramuscular
IU – International units
IUD - Intrauterine Device
IUD - Intrauterine Death
IUGR - Intrauterine Growth Retardation
IV - Intravenous
IVF - In vitro fertilisation
IVI - Intravenous infusion
KFD - Kielland Forceps Delivery
KSF - Knowledge Skills Framework
LBW - Low Birth Weight
LFD - Light for Dates
LFT - Liver Function Test
LMP - Last Menstrual Period
LOA - Left Occipto-Anterior
LOL - Left Occipito-Lateral
LOP - Left Occipito-Posterior
LOT - Left Occipito-Transverse
LSCS - Lower Segment Caesarean Section
LVS - low vaginal swab
MAP – Mean arterial pressure
MDT - Multi-Disciplinary Team
Mec - Meconium
MOT - Medical Obstetric Team
MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MSSU - Mid-Stream Specimen of Urine
MSU - Mid-Stream Urine
NAD - Nothing Abnormal Detected
NAS - Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
NB - Normal Birth
NBFD - Neville Barnes Forceps Delivery
ND - Normal Delivery
NEC – Necrotizing enterocolitis
NICU - Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
NICE - National Institute of Clinical Excellence
NIEL - Not In Established Labour
NIDDM - Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
NND - Neonatal Death
NNU - Neonatal Unit
NMC - Nursing and Midwifery Council
NSAID - Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug
NSF - National Service Framework
O/E - On Examination
ODA - Operating Department Assistant
ODP - Operating Department Practitioner
OP - Occipito Posterior position - see position
O/P - On Palpation - often written this way by the docs!
P - Pulse
P/A - Par Abdomen (sometimes seen before documenting palpation)
PCT - Primary Care Trust
P/S - Per Speculum
PCA - Patient Controlled Analgesia
PE - Pulmonary Embolus
PIH - Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
PGD - Patient Group Directive
PKU - Phenylketonuria
PN - Postnatal
PO - Orally
PPH - Postpartum Haemorrhage
PP - Presenting Part
PPROM - Prelabour Premature Rupture of Membranes
PR - Per Rectum
PRN - As required
PROM - Premature Rupture of Membranes
PU - Pass Urine
PV - Per Vaginum
QDS - Four Times Daily
RDS - Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Rh - Rhesus factor
ROA - Right Occipito-Anterior
ROL - Right Occipito-Lateral
ROP - Right Occipito-Posterior
ROT - Right Occipito-Transverse
SB - Still Birth
SBR - Serum Bilirubin
SC - Subcutaneous
SCBU - Special Care Baby Unit
SFD - Small for Dates
SGA - Small for Gestational Age
SHO - Senior House Officer
SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
SIGN - Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
SOB- Sub Occipto-Bregmatic
SOB - Shortness of Breath
SPD - Symphysis Pubis Disorder
SROM - Spontaneous Rupture of Membranes
STD - Sexually Transmitted Disease
STI - Sexually Transmitted Infection
STS - Skin To Skin
SVD - Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery
TCI - To Come In
TDS - Three times daily
TEDs – Thromboembolic deterrent stockings
TTO - To take out (medications)
U and E - Urea and Electrolytes
USS - Ultrasound Scan
UTI - Urinary Tract Infection
VBAC - Vaginal Birth After Caesarean
VE - Vaginal Examination. Would be more correctly written epv (examination per vaginam) as you are examining via the vagina, not examining the vagina itself!

Glossary Helpers.

If anybody would like to help with writing good and in depth defiitions for any of the above terms, then please send a PM to Midwifemissy

This is a fantastic way to research and to revise - Everyone should give it a try and dont let spelling or not being a 100% boffin on the subject you are writing about put you off. Dory, our resident Registered Midwife is our glossary editor and checks all new glossary items for clinical and medical accuracy and will amend anything that needs it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

__________________
Rob (Co-founder & Technical Dogsbody)
StudentMidwife.NET
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