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What Does LOS Mean in Medical Terms?
LOS stands for length of stay. Number of days a patient spends in hospital.
length of stay
Number of days a patient spends in hospital.
Where you will see LOS
You will most often see LOS in medical charts and clinical notes.
Example
A chart note might use “LOS” as shorthand for length of stay when documenting a patient's care.
Related abbreviations
- A&O x4 — alert and oriented times four (person place time situation)
- a.m. — ante meridiem (morning)
- A/P — assessment and plan
- AC — anterior chamber (eye)
- ACG — angle-closure glaucoma
- ACIOL — anterior chamber intraocular lens
- ACR — American College of Radiology (appropriateness context)
- acuity — patient acuity (severity level)
Browse the full Medical Abbreviations guide — 5,715 entries, searchable A–Z and by specialty.
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.