Medical abbreviations A-Z

This list explains abbreviations and short Latin terms that appear in medical letters, in English and German. It is meant for people who have a letter in front of them and want to know what a word means. It does not explain what a finding means for you personally.

Each entry has a source link. Where English sources disagree, the entry says so: “Rx”, for example, is explained as “treatment” by the NHS and as “prescription” by MedlinePlus.

Pairs that are easy to confuse

Written as	Means	Not to be confused with
b.B.	bei Bedarf, as needed (German prescriptions)	BB, Blutbild, blood count
o.B.	ohne Befund, no abnormal findings	the German word “ob” (whether)
V.a.	Verdacht auf, suspected, not confirmed	a confirmed diagnosis
Z.n. / St.p.	condition after an earlier event, such as an operation	a current illness

To check a whole letter at once, paste it into the translator. Blood test abbreviations such as MCV or CRP are explained in the lab values table.