Neurosurgical Abbreviations

Jaime Gasco

AANS	American Association of Neurological Surgeons
ABG	arterial blood gas
Abx	antibiotics
ACA	anterior cerebral artery
ACD	artificial cervical disk
ACEi	angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
ACDF	anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion
ACF	anterior cervical fusion
ACh	acetylcholine
AChA	anterior choroidal artery
AChR	acetylcholine receptor
ACom	anterior communicating artery
ACTH	adrenocorticotropic hormone
ADH	antidiuretic hormone
AICA	anterior inferior cerebellar artery
aka	also known as
ALIF	anterior lumbar interbody fusion
ALS	amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
A+O×3	alert and oriented in all three spheres
AOA	Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
AP	anteroposterior
ARDS	adult respiratory distress syndrome
ASAP	as soon as possible
ATP	adenosine triphosphate
ATPase	adenosine triphosphatase
AVM	arteriovenous malformation

BA	basilar artery
BAER	brainstem auditory evoked responses
BG	basal ganglia
bid	twice per day (Latin bis in die)
BLE	bilateral lower extremities
BMP	bone morphogenic protein
BUE	bilateral upper extremities
Bx	biopsy

cAMP	cyclic adenosine monophosphate
CBC	complete blood count
CBF	cerebral blood flow
CBZ	carbamazepine
C/D/I	clean, dry and intact
CES	cauda equina syndrome
CHF	congestive heart failure
CJD	Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
CMS	Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
CMV	cytomegalovirus
CN	cranial nerve
CNS	central nervous system
CP	closing pressure (in lumbar punctures)
CPA	cerebellopontine angle
CPM	central pontine myelinolysis
CPP	cerebral perfusion pressure
CPT	Current Procedural Terminology Crani craniotomy
CRPS	complex regional pain syndrome
CRVO	central retinal vein occlusion
CSF	cerebrospinal fluid
C-spine	cervical spine
CSW	cerebral salt wasting
CT	computed tomography
CTA	computed tomography angiogram
CTR	carpal tunnel release
CTS	carpal tunnel syndrome
CV	curriculum vitae
CVA	cerebrovascular accident
CVP	central venous pressure
CXR	chest x-ray

DAI	diffuse axonal injury
DBM	demineralized bone matrix
DBP	diastolic blood pressure
DBS	deep brain stimulation
DH	dominant hemisphere
DI	diabetes insipidus
DIND	delayed ischemic neurological deficit
DLIF	direct lateral interbody fusion
DM	diabetes mellitus
DREZ	dorsal root entry zone
DSA	digital subtraction angiography
DTRs	deep tendon reflexes
DTs	delirium tremens episodes
DVT	deep venous thrombosis

EAC	external auditory canal
EANS	European Association of Neurosurgical Societies
EBL	estimated blood loss
EBV	Epstein-Barr virus
ECA	external carotid artery
ECG	electrocardiogram
EDH	epidural hematoma
EEG	electroencephalogram
EHL	extensor hallucis longus
ELISA	enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
EMA	epithelial membrane antigen
EMG	electromyography
EMTALA	Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
ENT	ear, nose, and throat (specialist)
EOM	extraocular movement
ER	endoplasmic reticulum
ESR	erythrocyte sedimentation rate
ETA	estimated time of arrival
ETOH	alcohol
EVD	external ventricular catheter