Browse Medical Abbreviations
N
| N | nitrogen [element]; normal; nucleus |
| n | nerve |
| N&V | nausea and vomiting |
| n.b. | note well |
| n.p.o. | nothing by mouth (nil per os) |
| n.r. | do not repeat |
| N/A | not applicable |
| N/C | nasal cannula; no complaints |
| N/V | nausea/vomiting |
| N/V/D | nausea, vomiting, diarrhea |
| NA | Nursing Assistant; not applicable |
| Na | sodium [element] |
| NAA | nucleic acid amplification; N-acetylaspartic acid |
| NABS | normal active bowel sounds |
| NaCl | Sodium Chloride |
| NAD | no apparent distress; no acute distress; no active disease; no abnormality detected; nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide |
| NAD(H) | nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide |
| NADH | nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide |
| NADP | nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate |
| NADP(H) | nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate |
| NAF | notice of adverse findings |
| NAFLD | non-alcoholic fatty liver disease |
| NAI | no action indicated; non-accidental injury |
| NAIT | neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia |
| NaOH | sodium hydroxide |
| NASH | non-alcoholic steatohepatitis |
| NAT | nucleic acid-based tests; non-accidental trauma |
| Nb | niobium [element] |
| NB | newborn |
| NBHS | newborn hearing screen |
| NBN | newborn |
| NBRT | National Board for Respiratory Therapy |
| NBS | Nijmegen breakage syndrome |
| NBT | nitro blue tetrazolium |
| NBTNF/M | newborn, term, normal, female/male |
| NC | nasal cannula |
| NCAT | normocephalic, atraumatic |
| NCCN | National Comprehensive Cancer Network |
| NCHS | National Center for Health Statistics |
| NCI | National Cancer Institute |
| nCi | nanocurie |
| NCL | neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis |
| NCP | nursing care plan |
| NCPAP | nasal continuous positive airway pressure |
| NCS | nerve conduction study |
| NCSE | non-convulsive status epilepticus |
| ND | not diagnosed; normal delivery; nondistended; Doctor of Naturopathy |
| Nd | neodymium [element] |
| NDA | new drug application; next doctors appointment; non-disclosure agreement |
| NDC | national drug code |
| NDF | no disease found |
| nDNA | nuclear DNA; native DNA |
| NDT | neurodevelopmental treatment |
| Ne | neon [element] |
| NE | neurological examination; norepinephrine; not evaluated/not examined |
| NEAD | non-epileptic attack disorder |
| neb | nebulizer |
| NEC | necrotizing enterocolitis; not elsewhere classified |
| NED | no evidence of disease |
| neg | negative |
| NEL | non-elective |
| NER | nucleotide excision repair |
| nerv | nervous |
| NETT | National Emphysema Treatment Trial |
| Neuro | neurology |
| Neut | neutrophil |
| NF | national formulary; neurofibromatosis |
| NF1 | neurofibromatosis type 1 |
| NFA | nursing facility administrator |
| NFP | natural family planning |
| NFTD | normal full term delivery |
| ng | nasogastric; nanogram (billionth of a gram) |
| NGF | nerve growth factor |
| NGR | nasogastric replacement |
| NGS | next generation sequencing |
| NGT | nasogastric tube |
| NGTD | no growth to date (culture status) |
| NGU | nongonococcal urethritis |
| NH | nursing home |
| NH3 | Ammonia |
| NHC | National Health Council |
| NHIC | National Health Information Center |
| NHL | non-Hodgkin's lymphoma |
| NHP | nursing home placement |
| NHS | normal human serum; National Health Service |
| Ni | nickel [element] |
| NI | not indicated |
| NIAMS | National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases |
| NIBP | non-invasive blood pressure |
| NICE | National Institute for Health and Care Excellence |
| NICMP | nonischemic cardiomyopathy |
| NICU | neonatal intensive care unit |
| NIDDM | non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus |
| NIF | negative inspiratory force |
| NIH | National Institutes of Health |
| NIHSS | National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale |
| NIL | negative intraepithelial lesion |
| NIMH | National Institute of Mental Health |
| NINR | National Institute of Nursing Research |
| NIOSH | National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health |
| NIPPV | non-invasive positive pressure ventilation |
| NIPVL | non-invasive peripheral vascular laboratory |
| NIRS | near-infrared spectroscopy |
| NIV | non-invasive ventilation |
| NK | not known; natural killer (cells) |
| NKA | no known allergies |
| NKDA | no known drug allergies |
| NKF | National Kidney Foundation |
| NKFA | no known food allergies |
| NKH | non ketotic hyperglycemia |
| NKHG | nonketotic hyperglycinemia |
| nL | nanoliter (billionth of a liter) |
| NL | normal |
| NLN | National League for Nursing |
| NLT | not less than |
| NM | non monitored; nodular melanoma; neuromuscular |
| nm | nanometer (billionth of a meter) |
| NMDA | N-methyl D-aspartate |
| NMJ | neuromuscular junction |
| nmol | nanomole |
| NMR | nuclear magnetic resonance |
| NMS | neuroleptic malignant syndrome |
| NMT | not more than |
| nn | nerves |
| NNRTI | non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor |
| NNS | number needed to screen |
| NNT | number needed to treat |
| NNU | neonatal unit |
| NO | nitric oxide |
| no | number |
| NO2 | nitrous oxide |
| NOAEL | no observed adverse effect level |
| noct | nocturnal, night |
| noct. | in the night (L. nocte) |
| NODAT | new-onset diabetes after transplantation |
| NOE | naso-orbito-ethmoid |
| NOI | nature of illness |
| non rep | do not repeat |
| Norm | normal |
| NOS | not otherwise specified; nitric oxide synthase |
| NP | nasopharyngeal; Nurse Practitioner; neuropsychiatric |
| NP-CPAP | nasopharyngeal continuous positive airway pressure |
| NPA | nasopharyngeal airway |
| NPC | nasopharyngeal carcinoma; no previous complaints; nonproductive cough; non-protein calories |
| NPH | normal pressure hydrocephalus; no previous history; neutral protamine Hagedorn |
| NPHP | nephronophthisis |
| NPN | nonprotein nitrogen |
| NPO | nothing by mouth (L. nil per os) |
| NPPV | noninvasive positive pressure ventilation |
| NPSLE | neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus |
| NPT | normal pressure and temperature; nocturnal penile tumescence |
| NPV | negative predictive value |
| NPWT | negative pressure wound therapy |
| NQMI | non-Q wave myocardial infarction |
| NR | non-reactive; no record; normal record |
| NRC | normal retinal correspondence; national research council |
| NRDS | neonatal respiratory distress syndrome |
| NREM | non-rapid eye movement |
| NRM | non-rebreathing mask |
| NRT | nicotine replacement therapy |
| NRTI | nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors |
| NS | not significant; normal saline (0.9% sodium chloride); neurological surgery; nervous system |
| ns | nanosecond |
| NSA | no significant abnormality |
| NSAID | nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug |
| NSC | national safety council |
| NSCLC | non-small cell lung cancer |
| NSD | normal spontaneous (full term) delivery |
| nsec | nanosecond |
| Nsg | nursing |
| NSI | nasal saline irrigations |
| NSICU | neurosciences intensive care unit |
| NSR | normal sinus rhythm; nonsignificant risk |
| NSS | normal saline solution |
| NSSP | normal size, shape, position |
| NST | non-stress test |
| NSTEMI | non-ST elevated myocardial infarction |
| NSU | nonspecific urethritis; non-specific urethritis |
| NSV | non-specific vaginitis |
| NSVD | normal spontaneous vaginal delivery |
| NT | nuchal translucency; non-tender; nasotracheal |
| NT/ND | non-tender/non-distended |
| NTB | neuropsychological test battery |
| NTD | neural tube defect |
| NTG | nitroglycerin |
| NTM | non-tuberculosis mycobacteria |
| NTT | nasotracheal tube |
| NUG | necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis |
| nullip | nullipara |
| NUP | necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis |
| nutr | nutrition; nutritionist |
| NV | nausea and vomiting; near vision |
| NVA | near visual acuity; neurovascular assessment |
| NVD | nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; normal vaginal delivery |
| NVS | neurological vital signs |
| NVT | neurovascular and tendon |
| NWB | non weight bearing |
| NYD | not yet diagnosed |
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Abbreviations vary by context and institution. Many abbreviations have alternate or newer meanings not reflected in this set. The abbreviations on this page should not be considered complete.