Medical Abbreviations Starting With "L"

This page lists 223 medical abbreviations starting with "L", 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 B C D E F G H I J K M N 0–9 O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Abbreviation	Full form	What it means	Used in
L	liter	Unit of volume equal to one thousand millilitres	General Medical Laboratory
L-AmB	liposomal amphotericin B	Lipid form of amphotericin B gentler on kidneys	Prescription & Medication Orders Infectious Disease
LA	left atrium	Upper chamber receiving oxygen-rich blood from the lungs	Cardiology
LA	local anesthesia	Numbing a small area while awake	Surgery
LA	long-acting	Medicine whose effect lasts a long time	Prescription & Medication Orders
LA	lupus anticoagulant	Antibody that prolongs clotting tests but raises clot risk	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
LA-MRSA	livestock-associated MRSA	MRSA strain linked to animal contact	Infectious Disease
LAAO	left atrial appendage occlusion	Procedure closing a heart pouch to reduce clot risk	Surgery Cardiology
LABA	long-acting beta-agonist (maintenance)	Long bronchodilator — maintenance	Pediatrics Respiratory Prescription & Medication Orders
LABC	lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve	Forearm skin sensation nerve	Neurology Musculoskeletal
labral repair hip	hip labral repair	Repairing the hip socket rim	Surgery Musculoskeletal
labyrinthectomy	labyrinthectomy (procedure)	Removing the balance organ for severe vertigo	Surgery Neurology
labyrinthitis	labyrinthitis (diagnosis)	Inner ear inflammation with hearing loss — diagnosis	Neurology Infectious Disease
lactic	lactic acidosis (type)	Lactate-driven acidosis — type	Emergency & Critical Care Laboratory
lacunar	lacunar stroke (small vessel)	Small deep stroke from tiny artery disease	Neurology
LAD	left anterior descending artery	Major front artery supplying the heart muscle	Cardiology
LAD territory	left anterior descending artery (territory)	Front heart wall supplied by the LAD — descriptor	Cardiology
LADA	latent autoimmune diabetes in adults	Slowly developing autoimmune diabetes in adults	Endocrinology
Ladd	Ladd procedure (malrotation)	Operation untwisting and widening the bowel layout	Pediatrics Gastroenterology Surgery
LAGB	laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding	Inflatable band weight loss operation	Surgery Gastroenterology
LAHSHAL	LAHSHAL classification (cleft)	Letter system describing cleft anatomy	Pediatrics Surgery
LAI	long-acting injectable	Medicine given by injection that works over weeks	Psychiatry Prescription & Medication Orders
LAI antipsychotic	long-acting injectable antipsychotic	Monthly schizophrenia maintenance injection	Psychiatry Prescription & Medication Orders
LAM	lymphangioleiomyomatosis	Rare cystic lung disease mainly affecting women	Respiratory
laminectomy	laminectomy (procedure)	Removing the back of a vertebra to free nerves	Surgery Neurology Musculoskeletal
laminectomy fusion	laminectomy with fusion	Decompression combined with spinal fusion	Surgery Neurology
laminoplasty	laminoplasty (hinged lamina)	Rebuilding the spinal canal roof	Surgery Neurology
laminotomy	laminotomy (partial lamina removal)	Removing part of the vertebral arch	Surgery Neurology
LAMP	loop-mediated isothermal amplification	Rapid DNA amplification used in point-of-care tests	Laboratory Infectious Disease
Landau	Landau reflex (infant posture)	Flying posture reflex of infants	Pediatrics Neurology
Landau-Kleffner	Landau-Kleffner syndrome (acquired aphasia)	Epilepsy causing loss of language in children	Neurology Pediatrics
LANSS	Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs	Neuropathic pain identification scale	Neurology Vitals & Assessment
Lap	laparoscopy	Keyhole camera surgery through small cuts	Surgery
lap appy	laparoscopic appendectomy (shorthand)	Keyhole appendix removal	Surgery Emergency & Critical Care
Lap appy	laparoscopic appendicectomy	Keyhole operation to remove the appendix	Surgery Gastroenterology
Lap chole	laparoscopic cholecystectomy	Keyhole operation to remove the gallbladder	Gastroenterology Surgery
lap spleen	laparoscopic splenectomy	Keyhole spleen removal	Surgery Hematology & Oncology
laparoscopy dx	diagnostic laparoscopy	Keyhole inspection of the abdomen	Surgery
Laprot	laparotomy	Operation opening the abdomen	Surgery
LAR	low anterior resection	Removal of the rectum area preserving the anus where possible	Surgery Gastroenterology
LARC	long-acting reversible contraception	Implants and womb devices lasting years	Obstetrics & Gynecology Prescription & Medication Orders
laryngeal mask neonate	laryngeal mask airway (newborn size)	Supraglottic airway in newborn resuscitation	Pediatrics Emergency & Critical Care Respiratory
laryngomalacia	laryngomalacia (diagnosis)	Floppy voice box of babies — diagnosis	Pediatrics Respiratory Surgery
laryngospasm	laryngospasm (event)	Voice box closure event	Pediatrics Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care Surgery
LASA	look-alike sound-alike	Medications easily confused by name or appearance	Nursing Prescription & Medication Orders
LASIK	laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis	Flap-based laser vision correction	General Medical Surgery
LAST	local anesthetic systemic toxicity	Overdose reaction to numbing medicines	Emergency & Critical Care Surgery Prescription & Medication Orders
LASV	Lassa virus	Rodent-borne hemorrhagic fever virus	Infectious Disease Laboratory
Lat	lateral view	Side view on an X-ray image	Radiology & Imaging
lat	latissimus dorsi (muscle, shorthand)	Broad back muscle shorthand	Musculoskeletal
Latarjet	Latarjet procedure (shoulder)	Bone block stabilizing a dislocating shoulder	Surgery Musculoskeletal
latch	latch (breastfeeding quality)	How the baby attaches to the breast	Pediatrics Nursing Obstetrics & Gynecology
LATCH auto	lower anchors and tethers for children (vehicle)	Car seat anchor system	Pediatrics
LATCH score	LATCH score (breastfeeding)	Breastfeeding assessment tool	Pediatrics Nursing Obstetrics & Gynecology
late decel	late deceleration (fetal)	Heart dip after a contraction, suggesting placenta strain	Obstetrics & Gynecology Nursing
late-onset sepsis	late-onset sepsis (NICU)	Infection after the first days in NICU babies	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
lateral condyle	lateral condyle fracture (elbow)	Outer elbow growth fracture of childhood	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal Surgery
laundry pods	laundry packet ingestion (hazard)	Detergent pod poisoning and eye hazard	Pediatrics Emergency & Critical Care
LAVH	laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy	Removal of the uterus with keyhole and vaginal surgery	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
LBBB	left bundle branch block	Blocked electrical pathway to the left lower chamber	Cardiology
LBC	liquid-based cytology	Pap test method using a fluid vial	Laboratory Obstetrics & Gynecology
LBO	large bowel obstruction	Blockage of the large intestine	Gastroenterology Surgery Emergency & Critical Care
LBP	low back pain	Pain felt in the lower back region	Musculoskeletal
LBW	low birth weight	Birth weight below 2,500 grams	Obstetrics & Gynecology Pediatrics
LCCA	left common carotid artery	Neck artery to the left brain	Neurology General Medical
LCH	Langerhans cell histiocytosis	Immune-cell disorder mimicking infection or cancer	Pediatrics Hematology & Oncology
LCIS	lobular carcinoma in situ	Non-invasive breast change raising cancer risk	Hematology & Oncology
LCL	lateral collateral ligament	Ligament supporting the outer knee	Musculoskeletal
LCx	left circumflex artery	Artery wrapping around the left side of the heart	Cardiology
LD	learning disability	Difficulty learning in a specific area despite typical overall ability	Pediatrics Psychiatry
LD flap	latissimus dorsi flap	Back muscle flap for reconstruction	Surgery
LDH	lactate dehydrogenase	Enzyme found in many tissues, rises with cell damage	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
LDH tumor	lactate dehydrogenase (burden)	Cell turnover marker — burden	Pediatrics Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
LDL	low-density lipoprotein	The 'bad' cholesterol that builds up in artery walls	Cardiology Laboratory
LDLT	living donor liver transplant	Liver transplant from a living donor	Surgery Gastroenterology
LDR	low dose rate (brachytherapy)	Internal radiation given slowly, e.g. seed implants	Hematology & Oncology Radiology & Imaging
lead level	blood lead level	Test for lead exposure, especially in children	Laboratory Pediatrics
lead risk questionnaire	lead risk assessment (questionnaire)	Exposure questions guiding lead testing	Pediatrics
lead screening	lead screening (childhood program)	Blood lead testing in young children	Pediatrics Laboratory
leadless PPM	leadless pacemaker (device)	Self-contained capsule pacemaker	Cardiology
LEEP	loop electrosurgical excision procedure	Procedure removing abnormal cervical tissue with a heated wire loop	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
LEEP procedure	loop electrosurgical excision (procedure)	Wire-loop removal of abnormal cervix — procedure	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
LEF	leflunomide	Immune-suppressing medicine for inflammatory arthritis	Prescription & Medication Orders Musculoskeletal
LEFS	Lower Extremity Functional Scale	Leg function questionnaire	Musculoskeletal
leg length child	leg length discrepancy (measurement)	Unequal leg lengths — measurement	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal
LEMON	LEMON (difficult airway screen)	Difficult intubation prediction mnemonic	Emergency & Critical Care Surgery
LEMON	LEMON airway assessment	Difficult airway prediction tool	Emergency & Critical Care Surgery
Lempert	Lempert roll maneuver (BPPV)	Barbecue roll for horizontal canal crystals	Neurology
LEN	lenalidomide (chart shorthand)	Myeloma immune drug shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
lenticulostriate	lenticulostriate arteries	Tiny deep brain arteries often involved in small strokes	Neurology
LENV	lenvatinib (chart shorthand)	Thyroid and liver cancer pill shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
LET	letrozole (chart shorthand)	Aromatase inhibitor shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
LET gel	lidocaine epinephrine tetracaine gel	Laceration numbing gel for children	Pediatrics Emergency & Critical Care Prescription & Medication Orders
let-down	let-down reflex (milk ejection)	Milk release reflex	Obstetrics & Gynecology Nursing
lethal means	lethal means (counseling)	Access to methods of self-harm addressed in counseling	Psychiatry
lethargic infant	lethargic infant (presentation)	Abnormally sleepy hard-to-wake baby	Pediatrics Emergency & Critical Care
leukocoria	leukocoria (white pupil sign)	White pupil reflex, a cancer warning sign	Pediatrics Emergency & Critical Care Hematology & Oncology
leveling	leveling (transducer reference)	Aligning the pressure sensor to the correct body point	Nursing Emergency & Critical Care
Levo	levofloxacin	Fluoroquinolone antibiotic medicine	Prescription & Medication Orders Infectious Disease
LEX	cephalexin (chart shorthand)	First-generation oral cephalosporin shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Infectious Disease
LF dialysis	low-flux dialysis (membrane)	Small-pore membrane dialysis	Renal & Nephrology
LF diet	low-fat diet	Fat-restricted diet order	Nursing Gastroenterology
LFA	lateral flow assay	Strip test format, as in rapid antigen tests	Laboratory General Medical
LFCN	lateral femoral cutaneous nerve	Outer thigh skin nerve; compression causes meralgia	Neurology Musculoskeletal
LFTs	liver function tests	Group of blood tests assessing the liver	Laboratory Gastroenterology
LGA	large for gestational age	Larger than expected for the stage of pregnancy or age	Obstetrics & Gynecology Pediatrics
LGA	left gastric artery	Artery along the stomach's upper curve	Gastroenterology
LGA fetus	large for gestational age (fetal)	Fetus larger than expected for its age	Obstetrics & Gynecology Pediatrics
LGI1	LGI1 antibody (encephalitis)	Autoimmune encephalitis antibody target	Neurology Laboratory
LGIB	lower gastrointestinal bleed	Bleeding from the lower intestine or colon	Gastroenterology Emergency & Critical Care
LGMD	limb-girdle muscular dystrophy	Shoulder and hip muscle disease group	Neurology Musculoskeletal
LGS	Lennox-Gastaut syndrome	Severe childhood epilepsy syndrome	Neurology Pediatrics
LH	luteinizing hormone	Hormone controlling ovulation and sex hormone production	Laboratory Endocrinology Obstetrics & Gynecology
LHA	left hepatic artery	Artery to the left liver	Gastroenterology Radiology & Imaging
LHC	left heart catheterization	Catheter test of the left heart and its arteries	Cardiology
LHRH analog	gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog	Hormone-blocking therapy used in prostate and breast cancer	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology Endocrinology
Li level	lithium level (monitoring)	Blood level check for lithium safety	Psychiatry Laboratory Prescription & Medication Orders
LIA	line immunoassay	Strip-based antibody confirmation test	Laboratory Infectious Disease
life jacket	life jacket (USCG-approved)	Approved flotation guidance	Pediatrics Nursing
ligament of Treitz	ligament of Treitz (anatomy)	Band marking the duodenum-jejunum junction	Gastroenterology Surgery
ligation access	access ligation (dialysis)	Closing off a dialysis access	Surgery Renal & Nephrology
limited abduction hip	limited hip abduction (DDH sign)	Restricted leg spreading in hip dysplasia	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal
limp child	limp (presentation)	Altered walking presentation	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal Emergency & Critical Care
LINAC SRS	linear accelerator radiosurgery	Machine-based focused radiation treatment	Radiology & Imaging Hematology & Oncology Neurology
Lindegaard	Lindegaard ratio (vasospasm)	Doppler ratio detecting brain artery narrowing	Neurology Radiology & Imaging
line draw	line draw (blood from catheter)	Blood sampled through an existing catheter	Nursing Laboratory
linea alba	linea alba (anatomy)	Midline seam of the abdominal wall	Surgery Obstetrics & Gynecology
linea semilunaris	linea semilunaris (anatomy)	Curved line at the rectus edge	Surgery
lingula	lingula (anatomy)	Tongue-like part of the left upper lobe	Respiratory
lip repair	cheiloplasty (lip repair)	Cleft lip surgery	Pediatrics Surgery
lipid rescue	lipid emulsion therapy (LAST rescue)	Fat emulsion antidote for numbing drug toxicity	Emergency & Critical Care Prescription & Medication Orders
Lipids	lipid panel	Group of blood fat measurements	Laboratory Cardiology
liquid O2	liquid oxygen (home system)	Stored liquid oxygen supply	Respiratory
LIRADS	Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System	Standard categories for liver imaging in cirrhosis	Radiology & Imaging Gastroenterology
LISA	LISA (less invasive surfactant administration)	Thin-catheter surfactant without prolonged ventilation	Pediatrics Respiratory
Lisfranc	Lisfranc injury (midfoot)	Midfoot fracture-dislocation — injury	Musculoskeletal Surgery Emergency & Critical Care
lithotomy	lithotomy position	On the back with legs in stirrups	Nursing Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
living donor eval	living donor evaluation (process)	Health assessment of a volunteer donor	Renal & Nephrology Surgery
LKM	anti-liver kidney microsomal antibody	Antibody in a type of autoimmune hepatitis	Laboratory Gastroenterology
LKW	last known well (stroke time)	Last time seen normal — stroke timing	Neurology Emergency & Critical Care Nursing
LLD	left lateral decubitus	Lying on the left side	Nursing Radiology & Imaging
LLETZ	large loop excision of the transformation zone	Cervical excision procedure, also called LEEP	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
LLIF	lateral lumbar interbody fusion	Side-approach back fusion	Surgery Musculoskeletal
LLL	left lower lobe (anatomy)	Bottom section of the left lung	Respiratory
LMA	laryngeal mask airway	Airway device sitting above the voice box to assist breathing	Respiratory
LMA unique	LMA (laryngeal mask, generic)	Supraglottic airway mask	Emergency & Critical Care Respiratory
LMCA	left main coronary artery	Short main artery that splits to supply the left heart	Cardiology
LMN	lower motor neuron	Nerve cell carrying movement signals from cord to muscle	Neurology
LMN signs	lower motor neuron signs (exam)	Wasting and twitching findings	Neurology
LMP	last menstrual period	First day of the most recent menstrual period	Obstetrics & Gynecology
LMWH	low-molecular-weight heparin	Injectable blood thinner with predictable effect	Cardiology
LNMP	last normal menstrual period	Most recent normal period date	Obstetrics & Gynecology Nursing
loading dose	loading dose (concept)	Larger first dose reaching effective levels quickly	Prescription & Medication Orders General Medical
LOC	level of consciousness	How awake and responsive a person is	Vitals & Assessment Neurology
LOC	loss of consciousness	Fainting or passing out	Emergency & Critical Care Neurology
LOC level	level of care (placement)	Intensity of care setting required	Nursing General Medical
lock	catheter lock (heparin/saline)	Fluid left in a line keeping it open	Nursing
LODS	Logistic Organ Dysfunction System	Organ dysfunction scoring system	Emergency & Critical Care
long thoracic n	long thoracic nerve	Nerve to the chest wall muscle; injury causes winged scapula	Neurology Musculoskeletal
LOS	length of stay	Number of days a patient spends in hospital	General Medical
Lot	lotion	Liquid preparation applied to the skin	Prescription & Medication Orders
low bed	low bed (safety)	Bed lowered close to the floor for fall safety	Nursing
low K diet	low-potassium diet	Diet limiting potassium for kidney or heart patients	Nursing Renal & Nephrology
low phos diet	low-phosphorus diet	Diet limiting phosphate in kidney disease	Nursing Renal & Nephrology
low residue	low-residue diet	Low-fiber diet resting the bowel	Nursing Gastroenterology
low-lying UVC	low-lying umbilical venous catheter (position)	Cord line tip below the liver used short-term	Pediatrics Nursing
LP	light perception	Vision level detecting only light	General Medical Vitals & Assessment
LP	liquid plasma	Plasma stored liquid, used in massive transfusion	Hematology & Oncology Laboratory Emergency & Critical Care
LP	lumbar puncture	Needle sampling of spinal fluid from the lower back	Neurology Laboratory
LP child	lumbar puncture (childhood)	Spinal tap — childhood	Pediatrics Neurology Infectious Disease
LP I	late preterm infant (care)	Baby born 34 to 36 weeks needing closer watching	Pediatrics Nursing
LP shunt	lumboperitoneal shunt	Spinal fluid diversion to the abdomen	Surgery Neurology
Lp(a)	lipoprotein(a)	Inherited cholesterol particle measured in blood	Laboratory Cardiology
LPI	laser peripheral iridotomy	Laser hole in the iris treating angle closure	General Medical Surgery Emergency & Critical Care
LPN	licensed practical nurse	Licensed nurse working under registered nurse supervision	Nursing
LPS	Lanterman-Petris-Short (hold law)	California mental health conservatorship law	Psychiatry
LPTB	late preterm birth (34-36 weeks)	Birth in the late preterm window	Obstetrics & Gynecology Pediatrics
LQTS	long QT syndrome	Heart rhythm condition with a prolonged QT interval	Cardiology
LR	lactated Ringer's	Intravenous fluid containing salts and lactate	Prescription & Medication Orders Surgery
LRBC	leukoreduced red blood cells	Red cells filtered to remove white cells	Hematology & Oncology Laboratory
LRINEC	Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis	Score supporting diagnosis of necrotizing soft tissue infection	Infectious Disease Emergency & Critical Care Surgery Laboratory
LRP4	LRP4 antibody (myasthenia)	Third myasthenia antibody type	Neurology Laboratory
LRT	lower respiratory tract	Air passages from the windpipe down into the lungs	Respiratory
LRTI	lower respiratory tract infection	Infection of the airways or lungs, such as bronchitis or pneumonia	Respiratory Infectious Disease
LSCS	lower segment cesarean section	Surgical delivery through the lower uterus	Surgery Obstetrics & Gynecology
LSIL	low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion	Mild precancerous cell changes, often on cervical screening	Obstetrics & Gynecology Laboratory
LSM	liver stiffness measurement	Numerical result of elastography	Gastroenterology Radiology & Imaging
LSO	lumbosacral orthosis	Lower back brace	Musculoskeletal Surgery
LST	life-sustaining treatment	Treatments that prolong life in serious illness	Nursing Emergency & Critical Care
LTB	laryngotracheobronchitis	Croup; viral swelling of the voice box and windpipe in children	Respiratory Pediatrics
LTBI	latent tuberculosis infection	Dormant TB infection with no symptoms or spreading	Respiratory Infectious Disease
LTBI treatment	latent tuberculosis infection treatment	Preventive therapy for sleeping TB infection	Infectious Disease Prescription & Medication Orders
LTCS	low transverse cesarean section	Standard horizontal womb incision cesarean	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
LTOT	long-term oxygen therapy	Daily home oxygen used for long periods	Respiratory
LTOWB	low-titer group O whole blood	Universal-type whole blood for emergency transfusion	Emergency & Critical Care Hematology & Oncology Laboratory
LTRA	leukotriene receptor antagonist (class)	Allergy-asthma tablet class	Pediatrics Respiratory Prescription & Medication Orders
Lu-177	lutetium-177	Radioactive tag used in targeted cancer therapy	Hematology & Oncology Radiology & Imaging
lucid interval	lucid interval (epidural classic)	Awake period before deterioration in epidural bleeding	Neurology Emergency & Critical Care
LUL	left upper lobe (anatomy)	Top section of the left lung	Respiratory
lumbar ADR	lumbar artificial disc replacement	Motion-preserving low back disc implant	Surgery Musculoskeletal
lumbar plexus	lumbar plexus (anatomy)	Nerve network supplying the front leg	Neurology Musculoskeletal
lumbricals	lumbrical muscles (hand)	Small hand muscles between the fingers	Musculoskeletal
lumpectomy	lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery)	Removing a breast lump with a margin	Surgery Hematology & Oncology
Lung-RADS	lung cancer screening reporting system	Standard categories for lung screening CT	Radiology & Imaging Respiratory
Luria	Luria tests (frontal bedside)	Bedside frontal lobe function tests	Neurology
LUS	lung ultrasound	Ultrasound examination of the lungs	Radiology & Imaging Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care
LV	left ventricle	The heart's main pumping chamber	Cardiology
LV vent	left ventricular vent (ECMO/surgery)	Drain relieving heart pressure distension	Emergency & Critical Care Cardiology Surgery
LVAD	left ventricular assist device	Mechanical pump that helps the main pumping chamber	Cardiology Surgery
LVEF	left ventricular ejection fraction	Percentage of blood the main pumping chamber ejects per beat	Cardiology
LVH	left ventricular hypertrophy	Thickened wall of the main pumping chamber	Cardiology
LVN	licensed vocational nurse	Licensed nurse qualification used in some states	Nursing
LVNC	left ventricular noncompaction	Heart muscle condition with spongy, poorly compacted walls	Cardiology
LVO	large vessel occlusion	Blockage of a major brain artery	Neurology
LVO	LVO (large vessel occlusion, shorthand)	Big artery stroke blockage shorthand	Neurology Emergency & Critical Care Radiology & Imaging
lvPPA	logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia	Word-finding pause dementia variant	Neurology Psychiatry
LVRS	lung volume reduction surgery	Removing diseased lung to improve breathing	Respiratory Surgery
LVX	levofloxacin (chart shorthand)	Fluoroquinolone antibiotic chart shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Infectious Disease
LW	living will	Document stating end-of-life treatment wishes	Nursing General Medical
LWBS	left without being seen	Patient departed before evaluation	Emergency & Critical Care Nursing
LWS	large-bore lavage (Ewald)	Stomach washout tube for poisoning	Emergency & Critical Care Gastroenterology
Lymph	lymphocytes	White cells central to immune defence	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Infectious Disease
LZD	linezolid (chart shorthand)	Oxazolidinone antibiotic chart shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Infectious Disease

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 "L"

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