Browse Medical Abbreviations
| S | |
|---|---|
| S | mark; sacral; son; Sulfur (element) |
| s | without |
| S-A | sino-atrial |
| S. | sacral |
| s.c. | subcutaneous(ly) |
| s.o.s. | if necessary |
| s.q. | subcutaneous(ly) |
| S/A | sugar and acetone |
| S/E | side effects |
| S/P | no change after; status post (following) |
| S/S | signs and symptoms |
| S/Sx | signs/symptoms |
| s/w | somewhat |
| S1 | first heart sound |
| S2 | second heart sound |
| S3 | third heart sound |
| S4 | fourth heart sound |
| SA | salicylic acid; sexual assault; sinoatrial; sinus arrhythmia; status asthmaticus; stomach ache |
| SA node | sinoatrial node |
| SAARD(s) | slow-acting antirheumatic drug(s) |
| SAB | spontaneous abortion |
| SAC | short arm cast |
| SAD | seasonal affective disorder |
| SAE | serious adverse event |
| SAH | subarachnoid hemorrhage |
| SAID | steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs |
| SALT | speech and language therapy |
| SANE | sexual assault nurse examiner |
| SaO2 | arterial blood-oxygen saturation |
| SARS | severe acute respiratory syndrome |
| SAS | symptom assessment scale |
| sat | saturate, saturation |
| SAU | standard IgA beta-2 glycoprotein unit |
| SAVE | screen, ask, validate, evaluate/educate |
| SB | small bowel; sinus bradycardia |
| Sb | Antimony (element) |
| SBAR | situation, background, assessment, recommendation |
| SBE | subacute bacterial endocarditis; self breast examination |
| SBFT | small bowel follow-through (x-ray) |
| SBGM | self blood glucose monitoring |
| SBO | small bowel obstruction |
| sbp | spontaneous bacterial peritonitis |
| SBP | systolic blood pressure |
| sc | subcutaneous(ly) |
| SC | subcutaneous; self care |
| Sc | Scandium (element) |
| SCA | sickle cell anemia |
| SCAD | schizoaffective disorder; short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency |
| SCAT | sheep cell agglutination test |
| SCC | skilled care coordinator |
| SCD | sequential compression device |
| SCFE | slipped capital femoral epiphysis |
| SCI | spinal cord injury; science |
| sci | science |
| SCID | severe combined immunodeficiency |
| SCLC | small cell lung cancer |
| SCLE | subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus |
| SCM | sternocleidomastoid |
| SCr | serum creatinine |
| SCT | salmon calcitonin; stem cell transplantation |
| SD | standard deviation |
| SDAT | senile dementia of the Alzheimer type |
| SDH | subdural hematoma |
| SDP | single donor platelets |
| SDS | same day services; sodium dodecyl sulfate |
| SDSU | same-day surgery unit |
| SDT | speech discrimination threshold on audiometry |
| SE | substantially equivalent; standard error; side effects |
| Se | Selenium (element) |
| sec | second (time or sequence) |
| Sed rate | sedimentation rate |
| seg | segmented (white cells) |
| SEM | systolic ejection murmur |
| SEMI | subendocardial myocardial infarction |
| semih. | half an hour |
| sens | sensitivity; sensation |
| seq | sequence |
| SERM | selective estrogen receptor modulator |
| SF | synovial fluid; sugar free; serum ferritin; safety factor |
| SFe | Serum Iron |
| SFI | Spondylitis Functional Index |
| SG | Swan-Ganz catheter; suicide gesture; specific gravity |
| SGA | small for gestational age |
| SGOT | serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase |
| SGPT | serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase |
| SGS | subglottic stenosis |
| SGU | standard IgG beta-2 glycoprotein unit |
| SH | social history |
| SHE | safety, health and environment |
| shld | shoulder |
| SHP | hyperparathyroidism |
| SHU | special housing unit |
| SI | suicidal ideation; serious incident; international system of units |
| Si | Silicon (element) |
| SI units | international system of units (systeme international) |
| SIA | strip immunoblot assay |
| SIADH | syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone |
| sib | sibling |
| SIB | self-injurious behavior |
| SICU | surgical intensive care unit |
| SIDS | sudden infant death syndrome |
| SIE | stroke in evolution |
| sig | signal; signature |
| Sig. | write on label (signa) |
| SIL | squamous intraepithelial lesion |
| sim | similar and simplated |
| SIMD | substance-induced mood disorder |
| simul | simultaneously |
| SIMV | synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation |
| SIP | sterilization in place |
| SiPAP | synchronized inspiratory positive airway pressure |
| SIRES | stabilize, identify toxin, reverse effect, eliminate toxin, support |
| SIRI | serious incident requiring investigation |
| SIRS | systemic inflammatory response syndrome |
| SIS | saline infusion sonohysterosalpingography |
| SIVP | slow intravenous push |
| SIW | self-inflicted wound |
| SJS | Stevens-Johnson syndrome |
| SL | saline lock; sublingual (under tongue) |
| sl | slight |
| SLB | short leg brace |
| SLD | specific learning disabilities |
| SLE | systemic lupus erythematosus |
| SLP | speech-language pathology |
| SLR | straight leg raise |
| SLT | speech and language therapy |
| SM | synovial membrane; streptomycin; small |
| sm | small |
| Sm | Samarium (element) |
| SMA | sequential multiple analyzer |
| SMBG | self-monitoring of blood glucose |
| SME | subject matter expert; significant medical event |
| SMG | submandibular gland |
| SMR | standardized mortality ratio; submucous /resection |
| SMU | standard IgM beta-2 glycoprotein unit |
| Sn | Tin (element) |
| SNF | skilled nursing facility |
| SNHL | sensorineural hearing loss |
| SNOMED | systematized nomenclature of medicine |
| SNP | single nucleotide polymorphism |
| SNRI | serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor |
| snRNP | small nuclear RNP |
| SNS | supplemental nursing system; sympathetic nervous system |
| SO | salpingo-oophorectomy; significant other |
| SO2 | Sulfate |
| SOAP | subjective, objective, assessment, plan |
| SOAPIER | subjective, objective, assessment, plan, intervention, evaluation, response |
| SOB | short(ness) of breath; side of bed |
| SOBE | shortness of breath on exertion |
| SOBOE | short of breath on exertion |
| SOC | standard of care |
| sol | solution |
| SOMI | sternal occipital mandibular immobilizer |
| sono | sonogram |
| SOP | standard operating procedure |
| SOS | help needed (distress signal); sinusoidal obstruction syndrome |
| SP | Sanofi Pasteur; suprapubic (catheter) |
| sp | space; species |
| sp gr | specific gravity |
| SP/GP | suicide precautions/general precautions |
| SpA | spondylarthropathy |
| SPA | single point of access |
| SPAP | systolic pulmonary artery pressure |
| SPC | specialist palliative care; statistical process control |
| spec | specification; specimen |
| SPECT | single-photon emission computed tomography |
| SPEP | serum protein electrophoresis |
| SPF | skin/sun protection factor |
| sph | spherical |
| SPLATT | split anterior tibial tendon transfer |
| spon AB | spontaneous abortion |
| spon(t) | spontaneous |
| spp | species |
| spt. | spirit |
| sq | squamous |
| SQ | subcutaneous(ly) |
| SR | sustained release [medication]; sinus rhythm |
| Sr | Strontium (element) |
| SRD | single rising dose |
| SRI | serotonin reuptake inhibitor |
| sRNA | soluble RNA |
| SRO | single room occupancy |
| SROM | spontaneous rupture of membranes |
| SRT | speech reception threshold on audiometry |
| ss | a half (semis) |
| SS | Sjogren's syndrome |
| SS# | Social Security Number |
| SSA | Social Security Administration |
| SSc | systemic sclerosis |
| SSDI | social security disability insurance |
| ssDNA | single-stranded DNA |
| SSE | soap suds enema |
| SSI | sliding scale insulin |
| SSKI | saturated solution of potassium iodide |
| SSN | Social Security Number |
| SSNHL | sudden sensorineural hearing loss |
| SSRI | selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor |
| SSS | sick sinus syndrome |
| SSZ | sulfasalazine |
| ST | sinus tachycardia |
| st | stomach; straight |
| st. | let it/them stand |
| Staph | staphylococcus |
| START | simple triage and rapid treatment |
| STAT | immediately, at once |
| stb | stillborn |
| STD | sexually transmitted disease |
| ster | sterile |
| STG | short-term goals |
| STH | somatotrophic hormone (somatotropin) |
| STI | sexually transmitted infection |
| stim | stimulation |
| Strep | streptococcus |
| struct | structure |
| STS | serologic test for syphilis |
| STSG | split thickness skin graft |
| STT | short term tests |
| STU | skin test unit |
| STV | short term variability |
| subcu | subcutaneous, subcutaneously |
| subcut | subcutaneous |
| subling | sublingual (under tongue) |
| subQ | subcutaneous |
| subst | substance |
| SUD | single-use device; sudden unexpected death |
| SUDs | single use devices |
| SUI | stress urinary incontinence |
| SUID | sudden unexpected infant death |
| sup. | superior |
| supf. | superficial |
| supp | suppository |
| supr | superior, supervision |
| surg | surgery or surgical |
| susp. | suspension |
| sut | suture |
| SV | stroke volume; supraventricular |
| SVC | superior vena cava |
| SVD | spontaneous vaginal delivery |
| SVE | sterile vaginal examination |
| SVR | systemic vascular resistance; sustained virologic response |
| SVRI | systemic vascular resistance index |
| SVT | supraventricular tachycardia |
| SW | social worker |
| SWD | short wave diathermy |
| SWI | surgical wound infection |
| Sx | symptoms |
| SX P | sexual precautions |
| sym | symmetrical |
| symp | symptoms; symptomatic |
| syn | synthetic |
| synth | synthetic |
| syph | syphilis |
| syr | syringe; syrup |
| Sz | seizure |
| Sz P | seizure precautions |
Return to: Medical Abbreviations & Acronyms
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.