Medical Abbreviations Starting With "B"

This page lists 255 medical abbreviations starting with "B", each with its full form and a plain-English meaning. Where one abbreviation has more than one common meaning, each meaning has its own row — context in the chart is what tells them apart. Terms flagged ⚠ Error-prone are on recognised error-prone lists and should be written out in full. Use the filter box to narrow this list, the search on the main guide to search all 5,715 entries, or jump to another letter:

A C D E F G H I J K L M N 0–9 O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Abbreviation	Full form	What it means	Used in
B12	vitamin B12	Vitamin measured in blood, needed for nerves and red cells	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Neurology
BA	basilar artery	Artery formed in the brainstem supplying the back of the brain	Neurology
BA	bone age (abbreviation)	Skeletal maturity — abbreviation	Pediatrics Endocrinology
BAARS	Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale	Adult ADHD symptom scale	Psychiatry
Babinski	Babinski sign (finding)	Upgoing toe response — finding	Neurology
baby-led weaning	baby-led weaning (solids method)	Self-feeding finger foods approach	Pediatrics Nursing
BAC	blood alcohol concentration (measurement)	Alcohol level measurement	Psychiatry Laboratory
back pain child	back pain (childhood red flag)	Back pain in young children needing evaluation	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal Emergency & Critical Care
back to sleep	back to sleep (campaign phrase)	Supine sleeping safety slogan	Pediatrics Nursing
back-sleeping	supine sleep position (guidance)	Back sleeping for safety — guidance	Pediatrics Nursing
baclofen pump	intrathecal baclofen (pump)	Spinal pump relaxing severe stiffness	Neurology Pediatrics Prescription & Medication Orders
BAER	brainstem auditory evoked response (test)	Hearing pathway electrical test — test	Neurology
BAHA	bone-anchored hearing aid (surgery)	Implanted bone-conduction hearing device	Surgery
baked milk	baked milk/egg ladder (tolerance)	Heated forms tolerated in some allergies	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
BAL	blood alcohol level (legal/clinical)	Measured alcohol concentration — clinical	Psychiatry Laboratory Emergency & Critical Care
BAL	bronchoalveolar lavage	Washing of a lung segment through a scope to collect samples	Respiratory
BAL procedure	bronchoalveolar lavage (procedure)	Washing the airways for samples — procedure	Respiratory Surgery
Ballard	Ballard examination (maturity)	Gestational age examination	Pediatrics
ballismus	ballismus (movement)	Large flinging limb movements	Neurology
balloon pump	intra-aortic balloon pump (device)	Heart-assist balloon — device	Cardiology Emergency & Critical Care
band removal	gastric band removal	Removing an adjustable gastric band	Surgery Gastroenterology
Bands	band cells	Immature neutrophils released early during infection	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Infectious Disease
Banff	Banff classification (rejection grading)	Transplant biopsy grading system	Renal & Nephrology Laboratory Surgery
Bankart	Bankart repair (shoulder)	Reattaching the shoulder's front rim after dislocation	Surgery Musculoskeletal
BAO	basilar artery occlusion	Brainstem artery blockage stroke	Neurology Emergency & Critical Care Radiology & Imaging
bare area	bare area (liver anatomy)	Liver patch without peritoneal cover	Gastroenterology
Barnes	Barnes Akathisia Scale	Rating scale for restlessness side effects	Psychiatry
BASC	Behavior Assessment System for Children	Multi-rater child behavior system	Pediatrics Psychiatry
BASDAI	Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index	Ankylosing spondylitis activity questionnaire	Musculoskeletal
baseline testing	baseline neurocognitive testing (sports)	Pre-season thinking tests for comparison	Pediatrics Neurology
basilar	basilar artery	Joined vertebral arteries feeding the brainstem	Neurology
Baso	basophils	Least common white cells, linked to allergy	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
BAT score	BAT score (hematoma expansion)	Blend, black hole and timing expansion score	Neurology Radiology & Imaging
BB	beta blocker	Medicine slowing the heart and lowering blood pressure	Prescription & Medication Orders Cardiology
BBB	blood-brain barrier	Protective barrier between blood and brain tissue	Neurology
BBB	bundle branch block	Blocked electrical pathway in one branch to the lower chambers	Cardiology
bCAM	brief Confusion Assessment Method (instrument)	Short delirium instrument	Emergency & Critical Care Neurology
BCC	basal cell carcinoma	Most common, slow-growing skin cancer	Hematology & Oncology
BCG	Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine	Vaccine used against tuberculosis	Infectious Disease Pediatrics
BCHA	bone conduction hearing aid	Hearing device sending sound through bone	Surgery
BCID	blood culture identification panel	Rapid molecular panel naming organisms from positive blood cultures	Laboratory Infectious Disease Emergency & Critical Care
BCL-2i	BCL-2 inhibitor	Leukemia pill class promoting cancer cell death	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
BCMA	barcode medication administration	Scanning medicines and wristbands before giving doses	Nursing Prescription & Medication Orders
BCNU	carmustine (chart shorthand)	Nitrosourea chemotherapy shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
BCVA	best-corrected visual acuity	Best vision achievable with glasses or contacts	General Medical
BCx	blood culture	Test growing germs from a blood sample	Laboratory Infectious Disease
BCYE	buffered charcoal yeast extract agar	Culture medium for Legionella bacteria	Laboratory Infectious Disease Respiratory
BD	bipolar disorder	Condition with episodes of mania and depression	Psychiatry
BD-I	bipolar I disorder	Bipolar disorder with full mania	Psychiatry
BD-II	bipolar II disorder	Bipolar disorder with hypomania and depression	Psychiatry
BDD	body dysmorphic disorder	Preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance	Psychiatry
BDG	beta-D-glucan	Fungal marker in blood for invasive fungal infection	Laboratory Infectious Disease
BDI	Beck Depression Inventory	Self-report questionnaire measuring depression symptoms	Psychiatry
bDMARD	biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug	Targeted immune medicine slowing arthritis damage	Prescription & Medication Orders Musculoskeletal
BE	base excess	Measure of the base component of acid-base balance	Laboratory Respiratory
BEACOPP	bleomycin etoposide doxorubicin cyclophosphamide vincristine procarbazine prednisone	Intensive Hodgkin lymphoma chemotherapy combination	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
BECTS	benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes	Self-limited childhood focal epilepsy	Neurology Pediatrics
BED	binge eating disorder	Eating disorder with repeated episodes of eating large amounts	Psychiatry
bed alarm	bed alarm (safety device)	Alarm sounding when a patient rises	Nursing
bed check	bed check (safety rounds)	Scheduled checks of resting patients	Nursing Psychiatry
bed meeting	bed management meeting	Coordination of admissions and bed assignments	Nursing General Medical
bed-sharing risks	bed-sharing (risk counseling)	Risk discussion of sleeping with a baby	Pediatrics Nursing
BEHAVE-AD	Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer Disease scale	Dementia behavior rating scale	Neurology Psychiatry
BEND	bendamustine (chart shorthand)	Lymphoma chemotherapy shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
Bender	Bender Gestalt Test	Copying-figures visual motor test	Psychiatry Neurology
Benzo	benzodiazepine	Sedative medicine class used for anxiety and seizures	Prescription & Medication Orders Psychiatry
BEP	bleomycin etoposide cisplatin	Testicular cancer chemotherapy combination	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
BESS	Balance Error Scoring System	Stance error concussion test	Pediatrics Neurology Musculoskeletal
beta-hCG	beta human chorionic gonadotropin	Measured part of the pregnancy hormone	Laboratory Obstetrics & Gynecology
beta-hCG tumor	beta-hCG (tumor marker)	Marker for some germ cell tumors	Pediatrics Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
BEV	bevacizumab (chart shorthand)	Blood-vessel growth blocking antibody shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
BEVAR	branched endovascular aneurysm repair	Stent-graft repair using side branches	Radiology & Imaging Surgery
BF	biceps femoris (muscle)	Outer hamstring muscle	Musculoskeletal
BF	breastfeeding	Feeding a baby with milk directly from the breast	Pediatrics Obstetrics & Gynecology
BFCRS	Bush Francis Catatonia Rating Scale	Standard catatonia severity scale	Psychiatry Neurology
BFHI	Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative	Program promoting breastfeeding support	Obstetrics & Gynecology Pediatrics Nursing
BFR	blood flow rate (dialysis setting)	Blood pump speed in dialysis	Renal & Nephrology
BG	basal ganglia (anatomy)	Deep brain movement-control structures	Neurology
BGC	balloon guide catheter (stroke)	Flow-arrest catheter used in thrombectomy	Neurology Radiology & Imaging
Bhutani	Bhutani nomogram (bilirubin)	Named hour-specific bilirubin chart	Pediatrics
BIC	bicalutamide (chart shorthand)	Prostate hormone pill shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
biceps tenodesis	biceps tenodesis (shoulder)	Reattaching the biceps tendon in the shoulder	Surgery Musculoskeletal
BID	bis in die	Twice a day	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
bid	twice a day (lowercase form)	Frequency in lowercase charting	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
bike helmet	bicycle helmet (prevention)	Head protection for cycling	Pediatrics Nursing
BILAG	British Isles Lupus Assessment Group index	Organ-by-organ lupus activity index	Musculoskeletal Renal & Nephrology
BiLevel	bilevel ventilation (APRV variant)	Two-level pressure ventilation mode	Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care
Bili	bilirubin	Yellow pigment measured in blood, related to liver function	Laboratory Gastroenterology
bili blanket	bili blanket (fiber-optic phototherapy)	Light-emitting blanket for jaundice	Pediatrics Nursing
bili lights	bili lights (overhead phototherapy)	Overhead lights treating jaundice	Pediatrics Nursing
biliary atresia	biliary atresia (diagnosis)	Blocked bile ducts of infancy — diagnosis	Pediatrics Gastroenterology Surgery
BIND score	bilirubin-induced neurologic dysfunction score	Examination score in severe jaundice	Pediatrics Neurology
biopsy graft	graft biopsy (rejection check)	Transplant kidney sampling	Renal & Nephrology Surgery Laboratory
biotinidase	biotinidase deficiency (metabolic)	Vitamin-processing enzyme disorder	Pediatrics Laboratory
BiPAP	bilevel positive airway pressure	Breathing support with two different pressure levels	Respiratory
BIRADS	Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System	Standard categories for breast imaging reports	Radiology & Imaging Obstetrics & Gynecology
birth fracture	birth fracture (clavicle)	Collarbone break during delivery	Pediatrics Obstetrics & Gynecology Musculoskeletal
BIS	bispectral index	Processed brain-wave index of anaesthesia depth	Surgery
BISAP	Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis	Pancreatitis severity score	Gastroenterology Emergency & Critical Care
BiTE	bispecific T-cell engager	Antibody linking T cells to cancer cells	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
BIW	twice a week	Two times weekly	Prescription & Medication Orders
BJ protein	Bence Jones protein	Free light chains found in urine in myeloma	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Renal & Nephrology
BK	BK virus (transplant)	Virus injuring transplant kidneys	Renal & Nephrology Infectious Disease Laboratory
BK nephropathy	BK nephropathy (graft disease)	Virus-caused transplant kidney injury	Renal & Nephrology Infectious Disease
BKA	below-knee amputation	Removal of the leg below the knee	Surgery
BKA revision	below-knee amputation revision	Revising a below-knee stump	Surgery
bladder aug	bladder augmentation (augmentation cystoplasty)	Enlarging the bladder with bowel	Surgery Renal & Nephrology Pediatrics
bladder Botox	intravesical botulinum toxin injection	Bladder muscle injections for overactivity	Surgery Renal & Nephrology Prescription & Medication Orders
bladder scan	bladder scan (bedside ultrasound)	Estimating bladder volume without a catheter	Nursing Renal & Nephrology
blaKPC	blaKPC gene	Gene encoding the KPC carbapenemase	Laboratory Infectious Disease
blaNDM	blaNDM gene	Gene encoding the NDM carbapenemase	Laboratory Infectious Disease
Blasto Ag	Blastomyces antigen	Test for blastomycosis	Laboratory Infectious Disease Respiratory
Blasts	blast cells	Very immature blood cells, abnormal in circulation	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
bleach baths	bleach baths (eczema care)	Dilute bleach soaks reducing skin bacteria	Pediatrics Nursing Infectious Disease
blend sign	blend sign (hematoma)	Mixed-density bleed appearance predicting growth	Neurology Radiology & Imaging
BLEO	bleomycin (chart shorthand)	Chemotherapy drug with lung toxicity shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
bleph	blepharitis (shorthand)	Eyelid margin inflammation shorthand	General Medical
bleph	blepharoplasty (shorthand)	Eyelid reshaping surgery	Surgery
BLL	blood lead level (screening)	Lead concentration — screening	Pediatrics Laboratory
blown pupil	blown pupil (fixed dilated)	One large unreactive pupil, an emergency sign	Neurology Emergency & Critical Care
BLS	basic life support	Basic emergency care including CPR and defibrillator use	Cardiology Emergency & Critical Care
BLUE protocol	bedside lung ultrasound in emergency protocol	Lung ultrasound approach to acute breathlessness	Radiology & Imaging Emergency & Critical Care Respiratory
blueberry muffin	blueberry muffin baby (sign)	Purple skin spots of congenital infection or blood disease	Pediatrics Infectious Disease Hematology & Oncology
BM	bone marrow	Soft tissue inside bones making blood cells	Hematology & Oncology
BM	bowel movement	Passing stool	Nursing Gastroenterology
BMA	bone marrow aspiration (procedure)	Marrow sampling — procedure	Pediatrics Hematology & Oncology Laboratory
BMB	bone marrow biopsy (procedure)	Marrow core sampling — procedure	Pediatrics Hematology & Oncology Laboratory
BMD	Becker muscular dystrophy	Inherited muscle disease, milder and later than Duchenne type	Musculoskeletal Neurology
BMD	bone mineral density	Amount of mineral measured in bone, reflecting strength	Musculoskeletal
BMI percentile	BMI percentile (childhood)	Weight status measure for children	Pediatrics Endocrinology
BMP	basic metabolic panel	Blood panel of salts, kidney function and sugar	Laboratory Renal & Nephrology
BMR	basal metabolic rate	Energy the body uses at complete rest	General Medical Endocrinology
BMS	bare-metal stent	Plain metal heart artery stent without medicine coating	Cardiology
BMT	bilateral myringotomy with tubes	Ear tube placement in both ears	General Medical Pediatrics Surgery
BMT	bone marrow transplant	Replacing diseased marrow with healthy stem cells	Hematology & Oncology
BMZ	betamethasone (charting shorthand)	Steroid shorthand in obstetric charting	Obstetrics & Gynecology Prescription & Medication Orders
BN	bulimia nervosa	Eating disorder with binge eating and compensating behaviours	Psychiatry
BNP	B-type natriuretic peptide	Blood marker released when the heart is stretched	Cardiology Laboratory
boarding	boarding (ED holds)	Waiting in the emergency department for an inpatient bed	Nursing Emergency & Critical Care
Bochdalek	Bochdalek hernia (posterolateral)	Back-side diaphragm hernia of newborns	Pediatrics Surgery
BODE	BODE index	COPD prognosis score from BMI, obstruction, dyspnea, exercise	Respiratory
body check	body checking (behavior)	Repeated appearance checking in eating disorders	Psychiatry
bolus feed	bolus feeding (tube)	Intermittent larger-volume tube feeds	Nursing Gastroenterology
bone age	bone age (assessment)	Hand X-ray maturity estimate — assessment	Pediatrics Endocrinology Radiology & Imaging
Bone scan	bone scintigraphy	Nuclear scan showing bone activity	Radiology & Imaging Musculoskeletal Hematology & Oncology
bone scan	skeletal scintigraphy	Nuclear scan of the skeleton for spread or injury	Radiology & Imaging Hematology & Oncology Musculoskeletal
BoNT	botulinum neurotoxin (spasticity)	Stiffness-relaxing injections — spasticity	Neurology Prescription & Medication Orders Musculoskeletal
booster seat	booster seat (car seat stage)	Belt-positioning seat stage	Pediatrics Nursing
BOP	bleeding on probing	Gum inflammation sign at dental examination	General Medical
borderzone	borderzone infarct (watershed)	Alternate term for a watershed stroke	Neurology
BOS	bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome	Scarring airway form of chronic lung rejection	Respiratory Surgery
Boston brace	Boston brace (scoliosis)	Underarm scoliosis brace	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal
Boston criteria	Boston criteria (febrile infant)	Low-risk febrile infant criteria set	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
bottle rot	nursing bottle caries (pattern)	Decay from sleeping with a bottle	Pediatrics
bougie	bougie (intubation introducer)	Flexible guide easing tube placement	Emergency & Critical Care Respiratory
boutonniere	boutonniere deformity (finger)	Bent middle joint finger deformity	Musculoskeletal
bow legs	genu varum (physiologic)	Bow legs, usually normal in toddlers	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal
Bowel prep	bowel preparation	Emptying the colon before a procedure or scan	Gastroenterology Nursing
boxer fracture	boxer's fracture (hand)	Fifth knuckle neck fracture	Musculoskeletal Emergency & Critical Care
BP	blood pressure	Pressure of blood against artery walls	Cardiology Vitals & Assessment
BP cuff	blood pressure cuff	Inflatable band used to measure blood pressure	Vitals & Assessment
BPAD	bipolar affective disorder (term)	Bipolar disorder alternate name	Psychiatry
BPD	biparietal diameter	Ultrasound measurement across a baby's head before birth	Obstetrics & Gynecology Radiology & Imaging
BPD	borderline personality disorder	Personality pattern with unstable relationships, self-image and emotions	Psychiatry
BPD	bronchopulmonary dysplasia	Chronic lung disease of premature infants after oxygen and ventilation	Respiratory Pediatrics
BPF	bronchopleural fistula	Abnormal connection between an airway and the chest space around the lung	Respiratory
BPH	benign prostatic hyperplasia	Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland	Renal & Nephrology Surgery
BPI	Brief Pain Inventory	Questionnaire measuring pain severity and interference	Vitals & Assessment General Medical
BPM	beats per minute	Number of heartbeats in one minute	Vitals & Assessment Cardiology
BPP	biophysical profile	Ultrasound assessment of fetal movement, tone, breathing and fluid	Obstetrics & Gynecology
BPPV	benign paroxysmal positional vertigo	Brief spinning dizziness triggered by head position	General Medical Neurology
BPPV vertigo	benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (ear)	Brief spinning triggered by head position — ear	General Medical Neurology
BPRS	Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale	General psychiatric symptom scale	Psychiatry
BPS	Behavioral Pain Scale	Pain score based on behaviour in intensive care	Emergency & Critical Care Nursing
BR	bed rest	Staying in bed to recover	Nursing
BR	bendamustine rituximab	Lymphoma treatment combination shorthand	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
brachial art	brachial artery	Main upper arm artery	General Medical Musculoskeletal
brachial plexus anatomy	brachial plexus (anatomy)	Nerve network supplying the arm — anatomy	Neurology Musculoskeletal
Brachy	brachytherapy	Radiation placed inside or beside a tumour	Hematology & Oncology Radiology & Imaging
bracing scoliosis	bracing (scoliosis treatment)	Curve-stopping brace treatment	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal
bradycardia neonate	bradycardia events (NICU monitoring)	Slow heart episodes watched in preterm babies	Pediatrics Emergency & Critical Care Nursing
BRAF	BRAF (oncogene)	Gene mutation tested in melanoma and colon cancer	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
brain death exam	brain death examination (determination)	Formal examination declaring death by brain criteria	Neurology Emergency & Critical Care
branchial cleft	branchial cleft anomaly (neck)	Neck cyst or sinus from development	Pediatrics Surgery
Brandt-Daroff	Brandt-Daroff exercises (vertigo)	Home habituation exercises for vertigo	Neurology Nursing
BRAO	branch retinal artery occlusion	Blocked branch artery supplying part of the retina	General Medical
BRAT diet	bananas rice applesauce toast diet	Bland diet historically used for diarrhea	Nursing Gastroenterology Pediatrics
BRCA1	breast cancer gene 1	Inherited gene raising breast and ovarian cancer risk	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Obstetrics & Gynecology
BRCA2	breast cancer gene 2	Inherited gene raising breast and ovarian cancer risk	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Obstetrics & Gynecology
breakthrough varicella	breakthrough varicella (vaccinated case)	Mild chickenpox despite vaccination	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
breast milk jaundice	breast milk jaundice (prolonged)	Later prolonged newborn jaundice type	Pediatrics
breastfeeding jaundice	breastfeeding jaundice (early intake)	Early jaundice from low intake	Pediatrics Nursing
breastfeeding SIDS	breastfeeding (SIDS risk reduction)	Feeding associated with lower sleep death risk	Pediatrics Nursing Obstetrics & Gynecology
breath-holding	breath-holding spells (toddler)	Crying-triggered brief apnea and color change	Pediatrics Neurology Emergency & Critical Care
bridging veins	bridging vein rupture (head injury)	Torn surface veins causing subdural bleeding	Pediatrics Neurology Emergency & Critical Care
BRIEF	Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function	Executive function rating inventory	Psychiatry Pediatrics Neurology
brief psychotic	brief psychotic disorder (diagnosis)	Psychosis under one month	Psychiatry
BRIEF-A	BRIEF Adult Version	Adult executive function self-report	Psychiatry Neurology
Bright Futures	Bright Futures (guidelines)	National child preventive care guidelines	Pediatrics
bronch biopsy	transbronchial biopsy	Sampling lung tissue through a bronchoscope	Respiratory Surgery
bronchiolitis	bronchiolitis (diagnosis)	Viral wheezing illness of babies — diagnosis	Pediatrics Respiratory Infectious Disease
bronchomalacia	bronchomalacia (diagnosis)	Floppy large airways	Pediatrics Respiratory
bronchoprovocation	bronchoprovocation testing (challenge)	Airway reactivity challenge testing	Pediatrics Respiratory
Broviac	Broviac catheter (tunneled line)	Small-child tunneled central line	Pediatrics Hematology & Oncology Nursing
BRP	bathroom privileges	Permission to get up to use the bathroom	Nursing
BrS	Brugada syndrome	Inherited heart rhythm condition with a characteristic ECG pattern	Cardiology
BRTO	balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration	Vein procedure treating stomach varices	Radiology & Imaging Gastroenterology
BRUE	brief resolved unexplained event	Brief unexplained episode in an infant that has resolved	Pediatrics Emergency & Critical Care
bruit	bruit (access examination)	Whooshing sound of a working fistula — exam	Renal & Nephrology Nursing Cardiology
BRVO	branch retinal vein occlusion	Blocked branch vein draining part of the retina	General Medical
Bryant traction	Bryant traction (toddler femur)	Overhead leg traction for toddler thigh fractures	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal Nursing
BS	blood sugar	Glucose level in the blood	Laboratory Endocrinology
BS	bowel sounds	Sounds made by movement in the intestines	Vitals & Assessment Gastroenterology
BS	breath sounds	Sounds heard when listening to the lungs	Vitals & Assessment Respiratory
BSA	body surface area	Measured surface area of the body, used in calculations	General Medical
BSA psoriasis	body surface area (psoriasis)	Skin involvement percentage in psoriasis	General Medical
BSI	bloodstream infection	Infection with germs present in the blood	Infectious Disease
BSO	bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy	Removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes	Surgery Obstetrics & Gynecology
BT shunt	Blalock-Taussig shunt (modified)	Tube creating lung blood flow in babies	Pediatrics Cardiology Surgery
BTKi	Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor	B-cell cancer pill class	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
BTL	bilateral tubal ligation (procedure)	Tying the tubes — procedure	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
BTS	bilateral tubal sterilization	Permanent tube sterilization	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
BTS/SIGN	British Thoracic Society asthma guidelines	UK asthma severity and management framework	Respiratory
BTZ	bortezomib (chart shorthand)	Proteasome inhibitor for myeloma shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
bubble CPAP	bubble CPAP (system)	Water-seal baby CPAP — system	Pediatrics Respiratory Nursing
buccal cellulitis	buccal cellulitis (cheek infection)	Cheek infection of young children	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
Buck traction	Buck traction (skin)	Skin traction for hip fractures	Musculoskeletal Nursing
bucket handle	bucket-handle fracture (metaphyseal)	Curved growth-end fracture appearance	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal Radiology & Imaging
buckle fracture	torus fracture (buckle)	Bent-bone compression fracture of childhood	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal Radiology & Imaging Emergency & Critical Care
buddy tape	buddy taping (fingers/toes)	Taping an injured digit to its neighbor	Musculoskeletal Emergency & Critical Care Nursing
bulbar onset	bulbar-onset ALS (type)	ALS starting with speech and swallowing	Neurology
bulking	urethral bulking injection	Injecting filler around the urine tube for leakage	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery Renal & Nephrology
bulky Jones	bulky Jones dressing (padded)	Thick padded compression splint dressing	Musculoskeletal Surgery
bullectomy	bullectomy (procedure)	Removing large air blisters from the lung	Respiratory Surgery
bullous impetigo	bullous impetigo (blistering type)	Blistering staph skin infection of babies	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
bumper pads	crib bumper pads (banned hazard)	Padded crib liners banned for suffocation risk	Pediatrics
BUN	blood urea nitrogen	Blood test reflecting kidney function and hydration	Laboratory Renal & Nephrology
bundle care	care bundle (infection prevention)	Grouped prevention practices	Pediatrics Nursing Infectious Disease General Medical
bunionectomy	bunionectomy (hallux valgus correction)	Big-toe deformity correction surgery	Surgery Musculoskeletal
bunk bed	bunk bed safety (guidance)	Fall prevention guidance for bunk beds	Pediatrics Nursing
buphthalmos	buphthalmos (enlarged eye sign)	Enlarged eye of congenital glaucoma	Pediatrics Surgery
Burch	Burch colposuspension (continence)	Stitching the bladder neck up for leakage	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
Burch-Wartofsky	Burch-Wartofsky score (thyroid storm)	Point score for thyroid storm likelihood	Emergency & Critical Care Endocrinology
burn first aid	burn first aid (cool running water)	Cool water first aid guidance	Pediatrics Emergency & Critical Care Nursing
BURP	BURP (backward upward rightward pressure)	Laryngeal pressure improving the intubation view	Emergency & Critical Care Surgery Respiratory
burr hole	burr hole drainage (procedure)	Small skull hole draining a blood collection	Surgery Neurology Emergency & Critical Care
BUS	busulfan (chart shorthand)	Conditioning chemotherapy shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
button battery	button battery ingestion (emergency)	Swallowed battery burning the food pipe — emergency	Pediatrics Gastroenterology Emergency & Critical Care Surgery
buttonhole	buttonhole cannulation (technique)	Same-spot repeated needle entry technique for fistulas	Renal & Nephrology Nursing
Buzzy	Buzzy device (vibration cold)	Bee-shaped pain distraction device	Pediatrics Nursing
BV	bacterial vaginosis	Vaginal condition from bacterial imbalance	Infectious Disease Obstetrics & Gynecology
bvFTD	behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia	Behavior-first frontotemporal dementia	Neurology Psychiatry
BVM	bag-valve mask	Hand-squeezed bag giving breaths through a mask	Emergency & Critical Care Respiratory
Bx	biopsy	Removal of a small tissue sample for examination	Laboratory Surgery Hematology & Oncology
BZD	benzodiazepine	Sedative medicine class used for anxiety and seizures	Psychiatry Prescription & Medication Orders

Educational reference only. This guide is for learning and quick reference. Abbreviations vary between hospitals, countries and specialties, and some are discouraged because they can be misread. Always write and interpret orders using your own institution’s approved abbreviation list, and check anything unclear with the prescriber or your local policy.

Medical Abbreviations Starting With "B"

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