Browse Medical Abbreviations
R
| r | rate; roentgen |
| R | respiration; right |
| R&D | research and development |
| R&R | rate and rhythm |
| R&W | recreation and welfare |
| R-L | right to left |
| R-V | rectovaginal |
| R.B.C. | red blood cells |
| R/F | refill |
| R/L | right to left |
| R/O | rule out |
| R/S | reschedule |
| R/T | related to |
| R0 | basic reproduction number (R naught) |
| RA | right atrium; rheumatoid arthritis; right arm |
| Ra | radium |
| RAA | renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (system) |
| RAAS | renin angiotensin aldosterone system |
| RAC | right antecubital |
| RACE | rescue, alarm, confine, extinguish (fire safety) |
| RAD | radiation absorbed dose; right axis deviation; rapid applications development; reactive airway disease |
| rad | radical; root (radix); radial |
| RADAR | risk assessment of drugs analysis and response; radio detecting and ranging |
| RAE | right atrial enlargement |
| RAFa | right anterior forearm |
| RAHA | hemagglutination assay |
| RAI | radioactive iodine |
| RAID | rapid assessment, interface and discharge |
| RAIU | radioactive iodine uptake |
| RAM | rapid alternating movements |
| RANA | rheumatoid arthritis nuclear antigen |
| RAO | right anterior oblique |
| RAP | resident assessment protocol; recurrent abdominal pain |
| RAPD | relative afferent pupillary defect |
| RAS | renal artery stenosis; renin-angiotensin system; reticular activating system |
| RAST | radioallergosorbent test |
| RAT | rapid assessment and treatment |
| RATx | radiation therapy |
| rb | right bundle |
| Rb | Rubidium (element) |
| RBBB | right bundle branch block |
| RBC | red blood cell(s); red blood count |
| Rbcs | red blood cells |
| RBE | relative biological effectiveness |
| rBGH | recombinant bovine growth hormone |
| RBRVS | resource-based relative value scale |
| rBST | recombinant bovine somatotropin |
| RBV | read back and verify |
| RCA | right coronary artery |
| RCF | right cubital fossa |
| RCL | radial collateral ligament |
| RCM | right costal margin |
| RCP | respiratory care practitioner |
| RCR | replication competent retrovirus |
| RCS | Registered Cardiac Sonographer |
| RCT | randomized clinical/controlled trial |
| RD | retinal detachment; respiratory distress; respiratory disease; registered dietitian; right deltoid; raynaud disease; radial deviation; Registered Dietician |
| RDA | recommended daily/dietary allowance |
| RDH | Registered Dental Hygienist |
| RDI | reference daily intake |
| RDP | random donor platelets |
| RDS | respiratory distress syndrome |
| RDT | rising dose tolerance |
| RDU | rheumatic disease unit |
| RDW | red cell distribution width |
| Re | Rhenium (element) |
| RE | right eye; reproductive endocrinologist |
| ReA | reactive arthritis |
| REBT | rational emotive behavioral therapy |
| rec | recommend or recommended |
| recc | recommend or recommended |
| REE | resting energy expenditure |
| ref | refuse(d); referral/refer |
| refl | reflex |
| reg | regular |
| REHAB | rehabilitation |
| REI | reproductive endocrinology |
| rel | related; relative |
| rem | removal |
| REM | rapid eye movement (sleep) |
| REMS | risk evaluation and mitigation strategy |
| rep | repeated (repetatur) |
| reps | repetitions |
| RES | reticuloendothelial system |
| resc | resuscitation; rescue |
| resid | residual |
| resp | response; respiration |
| RET | rational emotive therapy; esotrophia (right) |
| retics | reticulocytes |
| retro | retrograde |
| rev | review; reverse; revision |
| RF | rheumatoid factor; retroflexed; radio frequency |
| RFA | radiofrequency ablation; right forearm |
| RFB | rifabutin |
| RFFF | radial forearm free flap |
| RFt | right foot |
| RFT | renal function test |
| RG | right gluteal/gluteus |
| RH | right hand |
| Rh | Rhodium (element); Rhesus factor |
| RHD | rheumatic heart disease |
| RHF | right heart failure |
| RhoGAM | rh immune globulin |
| RIA | radioimmunoassay |
| RIBA | recombinant immunoblot assay |
| RICE | rest, ice, compression, elevation |
| RID | radial immunodiffusion |
| RIE | recorded in error |
| RIF | rifampin; right iliac fossa |
| RIFA | right inner forearm |
| RIG | rabies immune globulin |
| RIH | right inguinal herniorrhaphy |
| RIND | reversible ischemic neurologic deficit |
| RIU | radioactive iodine uptake (test) |
| RK | radial keratotomy |
| RL | Ringer's Lactate; right leg; right lateral |
| RLE | right lower extremity |
| RLF | retrolental fibroplasia |
| RLFa | right lateral forearm |
| RLL | right lower (lung) lobe |
| RLQ | right lower quadrant (abdomen) |
| RLS | restless legs syndrome |
| RLW | right lateral wrist |
| RM | ruptured membranes; risk management; respiratory movement |
| RMA | refuse(s) medical assistance; right medial ankle |
| RML | right mediolateral; right middle (lung) lobe |
| RMP | rifampin |
| RMSF | rocky mountain spotted fever |
| RMT | retromolar trigone |
| RN | Registered Nurse |
| Rn | Radon (element) |
| RN-C | Registered Nurse-Certified (by ANCC) |
| RNA | ribonucleic acid |
| RNFA | Registered Nurse First Assistant (surgery) |
| RNP | ribonucleoprotein |
| RNST | reactive non stress test |
| Ro | Ro antigen |
| RO | reverse osmosis; rule out |
| ROA | right occiput anterior |
| ROFA | right outer forearm |
| ROI | release of information; region of interest |
| ROM | rupture of membranes; range of motion |
| ROP | retinopathy of prematurity; right occiput posterior (position) |
| ROPD | reversible obstructive pulmonary disease |
| ROS | review of systems; reactive oxygen species; review of symptoms |
| ROT | right occiput transverse |
| rot. | rotation |
| RP | radial pulse; Raynaud's phenomenon; retrograde pyelography; retinitis pigmentosa |
| RPE | ratings of perceived exertion; retinal pigment epithelium |
| RPF | renal plasma flow |
| RPG | retrograde pyelogram |
| RPGN | rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis |
| RPh | registered pharmacist |
| RPM | revolutions per minute |
| RPO | right posterior oblique |
| RPP | rate pressure product |
| RPR | rapid plasma reagent (test) |
| RPT | rifapentine; registered physical therapist |
| RQ | respiratory quotient |
| RR | relative risk; respiratory rate; recovery room |
| RRA | registered record administrator |
| RRE | round, reactive, equal |
| RRL | registered records librarian |
| rRNA | ribosomal RNA |
| RRP | radical retropubic prostatectomy; recurrent respiratory papillomatosis |
| RRR | regular rate and rhythm |
| RRT | renal replacement therapy; Registered Respiratory Therapist |
| RS | remitting seronegative; respiratory system; Reiter's syndrome |
| RS3PE | symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema |
| RSB | regular sinus bradycardia |
| RSBI | Rapid Shallow Breathing Index |
| RSC | right subclavian |
| RSD | reflex sympathetic dystrophy (syndrome) |
| RSI | repetitive strain injury; rapid sequence intubation |
| RSO | right salpingo oophorectomy; Radiation Safety Officer |
| RSR | regular sinus rate/rhythm |
| RST | regular sinus tachycardia |
| RSV | Rous sarcoma virus; respiratory syncytial virus |
| RT | radiation therapy; related to; registered therapist; respiratory therapy |
| rt | right |
| RT-PCR | reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction |
| RTA | renal tubular acidosis; road traffic accident |
| RTC | road traffic collision; return to clinic |
| RTF | ready to feed; resident treatment facility |
| RTI | reverse transcriptase inhibitors; respiratory tract infection |
| RTT | referral to treatment |
| RTV | ritonavir (antiviral drug) |
| RTW | return to work |
| Ru | Ruthenium (element) |
| RUA | right upper arm |
| RUD | right uterine displacement |
| RUE | right upper extremity |
| RUG | resource utilization group; retrograde urethrogram |
| RUL | right upper leg; right upper (lung) lobe |
| RUO | research use only |
| rupt | rupture |
| RUQ | right upper quadrant (abdomen) |
| RUT | right upper thigh |
| RV | right ventricle/ventricular; right ventricle; return visit; retroverted; rotavirus; residual volume |
| RVA | rabies vaccine, adsorbed |
| RVC | responds to verbal commands |
| RVCT | report of verified case tuberculosis |
| RVEF | right ventricular ejection factor |
| RVF | right ventricular function; right ventricular failure |
| RVH | right ventricular hypertrophy |
| RVM | right ventricular mean |
| RVR | rapid ventricular response |
| RVS | Registered Vascular Specialist |
| RVT | right vastus lateralis |
| RVVC | recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis |
| Rx | prescription |
| Rxn | reaction |
| RXT | exotropia (right) |
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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.