Neurosurgical Abbreviations
- P -

P          pulse or plan

p          after (Latin post)

P2        second pulmonic heart sound

PA       pulmonary artery

P-A      posterior-anterior

P&A     percussion and auscultation

PABA  para-aminobenzoic acid

PAC     post-anesthesia care

PACU   post-anesthesia care unit

PAD     pulmonary artery diastolic pressure

PAEK   polyaryletherketones

PAF     paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

PAM     pulmonary artery mean pressure

PAP     pulmonary artery pressure

PAR     post-anaesthesia recovery

para     number of pregnancies or paraplegic

PAS     para-aminosalicylic acid or periodic acid shift or pulmonary artery systolic

P.A.T.  paroxysmal atrial tachycardia

path.    pathology

PAW    pulmonary artery wedge

PB        phenobarbital

PBI       protein bound iodine

PBM     pharmacy benefit managers

p.c.      after meals

PC        packed cells

PCA     patient controlled anesthesia

PCE      physical capacity evaluation

PCN     penicillin

PCO₂    partial pressure of carbon dioxide

p-comm   posterior communication artery

PCP      phencyclidine

PCV     packed cell volume (hematocrit) or packed cell volume (hematocrit)

PCWP  pulmonary capillary wedge pressure

PD        pulmonary disease or permanent disability

PDA     patent ductus arteriosus or pocket digital assistant

PDD     percutaneous decompression of the disc

PDGF   platelet derived growth factor

PD&P   postural drainage and percussion

P.D.R.  Physicians Desk Reference (medication handbook)

PE        pulmonary embolus

P.E.      physical exam

pecs    pectoralis muscles

Pedes  pediatrics

PEEK    polyetheretherketone

PEEP    positive end  expiratory pressure (ventilator)

PEG     percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube

Pent     pentothal

per       by

PERL    pupils equal, reactive to light

PERLA pupils equal, reactive to light and accommodation

PERRLA   pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation

PFT's   pulmonary function tests

P.F.      preservative free

p-fossa   posterior fossa

PG       pregnant

PGA     polyglycolic acid

pH        acidity

PH        past history

PHI       Protected (Personal) Health Information under HIPPA

PHS     Public Health Service

PHx      past medical history

PhRMA    Pharmaceutical Research and Marketing Association

PHT      phenytoin (Dilantin)

PI         pulmonary incompetence or peripheral iridectomy

P.I.       present illness

PICA    posterior inferior cerebellar artery

PID       pelvic inflammatory disease

PIP       proximal interphalangeal joint

P.I.P.    peak inspiratory pressure

PKU     phenylketonuria

PLA     polylactic acid

PLB      pursed-lip breathing

PLD      percutaneous lumbar discectomy

PLDLA poly L-lactic/D-L-lactic acid (Hydrosorb®)

PLED's periodic lateralizing epileptiform discharges

PLF      prior level of function

PLIF     posterior lumbar interbody fusion

PLLA   poly L-lactic acid

PLOF   prior level of function

Plt        platelet

PM       night

PMB     polymorphonuclear basophil

PMD     private medical doctor

PME     polymorphonuclear eosinophil

PMH     past medical history

PMI       point of maximal impulse (heart exam)

PML     progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

PMMA  polymethylmethacrylate

PMN     polymorphonuclear neutrophil

PMP     past menstrual period

PMR     Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

PMV     pontomesencephalic vein

PN        peripheral neuropathy

PND     paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea

PNET    primitive neuroectodermal tumor

Pneumo   pneumo-encephalogram or pneumothorax

PO       by mouth (Latin per orum)

PO₂      partial pressure of oxygen

POD#1, 2, etc.         first, second post-operative day, etc.

POE     prone on elbows

poik      poikilocyte

polio     poliomyelitis

poly     polymorphoneuclear leukocytes (white blood cells)

pos.     positive

POS     Point of Service

poss.   possible

post.    posterior

post-    after

post-op    following surgery

PP        post-prandial (after eating)

PPB                                                          positive pressure breathing

ppd      packs per day

PPD      Permanent Partial

Disability or purified protein derivative (TB test)

PPE      personal protective equipment or phenylpropanolamine

PPLO   pleuro-pneumonia-like organism

PPO     preferred physician organization

ppm     parts per million

PR        EKG interval

PRBC   packed red blood cells

PRC     packed red cells

PRE      progressive resistive exercise

pre-     before

pre-op prior to surgery

prep.    prepare

primip   woman bearing first child

PRISM  A scoring system.  Pediatric RISk of Mortality

PRN     "pro re nata," as the situation requires

Pro       prothrombin time

prob.    problem

prog.    prognosis

PROM  passive range of motion

P&S     permanent and stationary

PSF      posterior spinal fusion

PSNP   progressive supranuclear palsy

PSP      phenolsulfonphthalein test (kidney)

PSRP   penicillinase resistant synthetic penicillin

Psy      Psychology

Psych. Psychiatry

P.S.      plastic surgery

psi       pounds per square inch (unit of pressure)

PSO     posterior subtraction osteotomy

PSP      phenolsulfonphthalein

Pt         patient

PT        prothrombin time

P.T.      physical therapy

PTA     percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or prior to admission

PTCA   percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

PTFE    peripheral thrombo-femoral endarterectomy

PTH      parathyroid hormone

PTP      primary treating physician

PTT      partial thromboplastin time

PTx      pelvic traction

PUD     peptic ulcer disease

Pulm     pulmonary

pulse ox  pulse oximetry

PUO     pyrexia of undetermined origin (FUO)

PUW    pick up walker

PV       polycythemia vera

PV       percutaneous vertebroplasty

P&V     pyloroplasty and vagotomy

PVA     polyvinyl alcohol

PVC     premature ventricular contraction

PVS     premature ventricular systole

PVT     paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia

PWB        partial weight bearing

If you are aware of any abbreviations not in this list, your help would be greatly appreciated.  Please send me any abbreviations not on the list and I will update the web site.  Click here to send a comment.