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CAPD can also be Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis. Instead of being hooked to a dialysis machine, patients have a catheter (Tenckhoff was the last one I knew of) inserted in their bellies. They warm a large bag of dialysate, then attach it to the catheter & let it flow in over, usually, about 15 min. They then seal the empty bag for later & cap the catheter & let the fluid stay in their bellies for 4-6 hours. During this time, waste material is pulled across the lining of the abdominal cavity, the peritoneum, into the dialysate. They then attach the empty bag, let the fluid out, seal it, & instill another one. Many times, people who have big bellies are not fat, but do this kind of dialysis so they have more freedom to move around. Not all dialysis patients can use this type of dialysis.

PCOS: Poly-Cystic ovarian syndrome, a disease that runs in families, multiple cysts on the ovaries interfere with ovulation (& thus fertility), cause very painful periods, & become progressively worse. Women with this have very limited periods of fertility; often, the ovaries have to be removed; uterine fibroids often occur with this. They can be treated with steroids or lupron. Pain is almost constant.

AF: atrial fibrillation. The heart has 2 upper chambers (the atria) & 2 lower chambers (ventricles). Fibrillation means basically quivering. In AF, blood doesn’t actively move into the ventricles, some goes through via gravity. Blood that stands still clots, & clots can move & cause problems, so patients whose AF can’t be fixed need blood thinners.

VF: Ventricular fibrillation. This is what usually happens when someone has a heart attack. It is fatal unless CPR compressions are started & then a defibrillator is used.

MVP: Mitral valve prolapse. Mitral valve sags & blood goes back up into the atria when the heart pumps, instead of all of it going to the lungs & body. Repairs don’t always require open heart surgery all the time.

AAA: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. The aorta is the main blood vessel in the body. An aneurysm is a weak spot in a blood vessel (usually an artery) wall. Usually a disease of older people, it can be controlled by keeping the blood pressure controlled tightly for a while, but will always require surgery. The last I knew, they used a Dacron sleeve to strengthen the blood vessel wall. Without the strengthening, the weakness grows worse, blood starts to leak out of the aorta, & eventually it will rupture if not treated. In many old people, the main symptom is vague discomfort in the area of the stomach. If the person’s thin enough &/or you have sensitive fingers, you may be able to feel a pulsation there that does not belong.

AVM: Arteriovenous malformation. Usually it is a cluster of arteries & veins that are weak in spots & are tortuous (wickedly twisted) & thus reduce blood flow. They can also rupture but usually leak. The only treatments are to remove the malformation & reconnect the blood vessels or, in cases where the malformation is not in a critical area, clamp it off (the lack of blood flow to the malformation makes it die off & be reabsorbed by the body as waste to excrete over time.

ASD/VSD: Atrial or ventricular septal defect. More serious is the VSD usually, although where they are pinhole small, surgery may not be needed. The septum in the heart is a wall between the left & right atria or left & right ventricles. Since the right side of the heart deals with “used” blood that has CO2 (carbon dioxide) in it & the left side deals with freshly oxygenated blood, the defect mixes the 2 & thus the blood going to the body has more CO2 & less O2 (oxygen) than normal. Large ones require open heart surgery; a patch is put on the hole. Smaller ones can sometimes be repaired with MIS (minimally invasive surgery).

CKD: chronic kidney disease, a gradual weakening of kidney function, most often caused by high blood pressure but also caused by some autoimmune diseases & by uncontrolled diabetes. It will eventually lead to kidney failure & the need for dialysis/transplant. NOTE: In experiments, adult stem cells taken from the patient’s own body have successfully reversed some to most CKD. Embryonic stem cells, which can easily differentiate into cancer as well as beneficial cells, have to date not been able to benefit patients with CKD.

VT: Ventricular tachycardia. A precursor to VF, it can be reversed by medication if caught early enough.

SN: SInus node, the heart’s natural pacemaker.

AVN: Atrio-Ventricular node, a back-up to the heart’s SN, but can’t be relied upon for long as it has a slower rate & will make you feel weaker.

VN & Bundle of HIS: Ventricular node, the 2nd backup pacemaker, but won’t function for long. It is at the head of a bundle of electrical conductive tissue that conducts the impulse of the pacemaker through the ventricles.

AV block: Atrio-Ventricular block, a condition where conduction of the sinus node is blocked. Usually requires a pacemaker. Types are type I (1st degree), which is benign but should be watched; type II ( 2nd degree) Mobitz, which generally requires a pacemaker or type II Wenckebach, which is benign but must be watched; & type III or 3rd degree or complete heart block, which requires immediate temporary or external pacemaker & implantation of a permanent pacemaker as soon as possible. Type II usually means the sinus node isn’t working at all, just the AV or junctional (because it’s at the junction of the atria & ventricles) node; with Wenckebach, there is enough signal but not with Mobitz. Type III means the only pacemaker working in the heart is the ventricular node. This condition will deteriorate rapidly into VT then VF. Pacemakers come in various types, but they all now have an internal defibrillator to jump start the heart if VT or VF are detected. For patients whose QoL would be improved by a pacemaker, but who have incurable conditions & don’t want resuscitation, it’s important to communicate with the cardiologist that the defibrillator function should be turned off. There are also pacemakers that only have 1 lead, to the left ventricle, but if the person has AF & CHF (Congestive Heart Failure), their QoL can be significantly improved by a 4 lead pacemaker that paces both atria & both ventricles, improving circulation in the heart. BTW, pacemaker insertion requires that you limit weight bearing for a couple weeks, & that you don’t lift your arm above your shoulder for whatever length of time the doctor advises. This allows the pacemaker to stablilize inside the body.

SSS or tachy-brady syndrome: A condition where the heart goes in & out of heart block, causing tachycardia (rapid heart rate) or bradycardia (slow heart rate). Detection of the syndrome requires a Holter (not halter; it’s named for the guy who invented it), which you wear for 24, 48, or more hours. You keep a diary of when you feel weak or short of breath & what you were doing at the time. The holter records a basic EKG (ECG) over time & the doctor determines how serious the condition is. Control by medication is generally preferred, but people with this syndrome will eventually end up with a pacemaker.

Since I think I’ve probably run out of room, I’ll put more in later.

for the UK lot there’s GORD, which is the same as GERD, but we spell it oesophageal.

Wonderful and many thanks! I will be saving this one.

There’s also PN(E) Pudendal Neuralgia (Entrapment). That’s my acronym.

Not sure if this was listed but PCN is penicillin.

CU- Chronic Urticaria
CIU-Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria

Here’s a doozy for you all. There is PLS for primary lateral sclerosis; SP for spastic paraparesis; and HSP for hereditary spastic paresis. They are all somewhat related, attack everyone differently, at different ages, and progress at different rates. Many are diagnosed at first with ALS, CP, MS, herniated disks and other back issues, etc. They are not well-known diseases and very hard to diagnose. My niece, in her 3rd year of residency at a top hospital in Boston, has never heard of it. Surprise.

So helpful, thanks!

Could you add…

IIH – Idiopathic Intracranial hypertension
BIH -Benign Intracranial Hypertension
PTC- Pseudotumor Cerebri

All the same thing…which I have…

Idiopathic Intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a serious neurological condition in which high cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure within the skull causes unbearable headaches, swelling of the optic nerves (papilloedema) and can result in loss of vision or blindness. IIH was formerly known as BIH (Benign Intracranial Hypertension) although this name is falling out of use now as the condition can cause permanent visual loss and therefore is certainly not harmless or benign, as sufferers who live with it’s effects daily would agree. It’s also sometimes known as pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) as there are some of the signs and symptoms of a brain tumour without a tumour being present(pseudo meaning false). The cause of IIH is unknown – idiopathic means “of unknown cause”. IIH is a rare condition affecting about one or two in every 100,000 people, most of them women of childbearing age, but men and children can also be affected.

CPAP is actually Continuous Positive Air Pressure – usually delivered by a machine

DDD – Degenerative Disc Disease

TPI=trigger point injections

MCTD is mixed conective tissue disease, however I like your version better! multiple 😉 thanks for the list, it will be helpful to many!

Can you add SMAS please? It’s Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome. Rare but very real to so many.

Please could you add CHI – Congenital Hyperinsulinism. Thank you.

You could add NCS – Neuro-cardiogenic syncope
And for POTS you left off the word syndrome! xD

Glad you have them in alphabetical order, it’s quite useful.

This is extremely helpful! Thanks for posting it!!! I did no see any abbreviation for “Diverticulitis”. I don’t even know if there is one, but I have faith that you will find out!! Thanks and God Bless you!
Linda

Might want to add one more: RO (Rule out)

I used to think that this abbreviation meant “reminiscent of” and would like to make sure no one else makes the same mistake.