Medical Abbreviations Starting With "R"

This page lists 241 medical abbreviations starting with "R", 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 L M N 0–9 O P Q S T U V W X Y Z

Abbreviation	Full form	What it means	Used in
R	respirations	Breaths, counted per minute	Vitals & Assessment Respiratory
R-CHOP	rituximab plus CHOP	Antibody plus chemotherapy for B-cell lymphoma	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
R-CHOP	rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone	Combination chemotherapy regimen for lymphoma, from drug initials	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
R-CVP	rituximab plus CVP	Antibody plus chemotherapy combination	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
R-ISS	revised International Staging System	Myeloma staging adding genetics and LDH	Hematology & Oncology
RA	regional anesthesia	Numbing a region of the body, such as with a spinal	Surgery
RA	rheumatoid arthritis	Autoimmune disease causing joint inflammation and damage	Musculoskeletal
RA	right atrium	Upper chamber receiving used blood from the body	Cardiology
Ra-223	radium-223	Radioactive treatment targeting prostate cancer in bone	Hematology & Oncology Radiology & Imaging
raccoon eyes child	raccoon eyes (neuroblastoma sign)	Bruise-like eye circles from tumor spread	Pediatrics Hematology & Oncology
racemic epi	racemic epinephrine (croup)	Nebulized adrenaline for croup — treatment	Pediatrics Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care Prescription & Medication Orders
rachitic rosary	rachitic rosary (rib beading)	Beaded rib ends of rickets	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal
RAD	reactive attachment disorder	Inhibited attachment after neglect	Psychiatry Pediatrics
radial art	radial artery	Forearm artery at the thumb-side wrist	General Medical Cardiology
radial forearm flap	radial forearm free flap	Forearm tissue flap for head and neck repair	Surgery
radial head sublux	radial head subluxation (diagnosis)	Pulled elbow — diagnosis	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal
radial n	radial nerve (anatomy)	Nerve extending the wrist and fingers	Neurology Musculoskeletal
radiant warmer	radiant warmer (bed)	Open heated baby bed	Pediatrics Nursing
radical cystectomy	radical cystectomy (procedure)	Bladder removal for cancer	Surgery Renal & Nephrology Hematology & Oncology
radical hyst	radical hysterectomy (cancer)	Wide womb removal for cervical cancer	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery Hematology & Oncology
radical orchiectomy	radical inguinal orchiectomy	Testicle removal through the groin for cancer	Surgery Renal & Nephrology Hematology & Oncology
RADS	reactive airways dysfunction syndrome	Asthma-like condition after a single high irritant exposure	Respiratory
RADT	rapid antigen detection test	Quick swab test, as for strep throat	Laboratory Infectious Disease Pediatrics
RAH	robot-assisted hysterectomy	Robotic womb removal	Obstetrics & Gynecology Surgery
RAI	radioactive iodine	Iodine-131 treatment for thyroid conditions	Endocrinology Radiology & Imaging
rainbow draw	rainbow draw (extra tubes)	Extra assorted blood tubes drawn at once	Nursing Laboratory
RAIU	radioactive iodine uptake (abbreviation)	Percentage uptake test of the thyroid	Radiology & Imaging Endocrinology
RALP	robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy	Robotic prostate removal	Surgery Renal & Nephrology
RAM cannula	RAM cannula (interface)	Nasal interface for baby noninvasive support	Pediatrics Respiratory
RANO	Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology	Brain tumor response criteria	Hematology & Oncology Neurology Radiology & Imaging
RAP	right atrial pressure	Filling pressure of the right heart	Cardiology Radiology & Imaging
RAPD	relative afferent pupillary defect	Unequal pupil response suggesting optic nerve damage	General Medical Neurology
rapid cycling	rapid cycling (specifier)	Four or more mood episodes a year specifier	Psychiatry
rapid response	rapid response team activation	Urgent bedside team call for a deteriorating patient	Nursing Emergency & Critical Care
RAS	renal artery stenosis	Narrowing of the artery supplying the kidney	Renal & Nephrology Cardiology
RAS	restrictive allograft syndrome	Fibrotic form of chronic lung transplant dysfunction	Respiratory Surgery
RASS	Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale	Score of agitation and sedation in intensive care	Emergency & Critical Care Nursing
RAVLT	Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test	Word-list memory test	Neurology Psychiatry
Raw	airway resistance (measurement)	Opposition to air flow in the airways	Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care
ray amputation	ray amputation (foot)	Removing a toe with its metatarsal	Surgery Musculoskeletal
RBANS	Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status	Brief repeatable cognitive battery	Neurology Psychiatry
RBBB	right bundle branch block	Blocked electrical pathway to the right lower chamber	Cardiology
RBC	red blood cell	Cell that carries oxygen in the blood	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
RBC	red blood count	Number of red cells in a blood sample	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
RBC folate	red blood cell folate	Longer-term measure of folate stores	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
RBD	REM sleep behavior disorder	Acting out dreams during rapid eye movement sleep	Neurology
RBG	random blood glucose	Blood sugar measured at any time	Endocrinology Laboratory
RBV	ribavirin (chart shorthand)	Broad antiviral chart shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Infectious Disease
RCA	regional citrate anticoagulation (abbreviation)	Citrate filter protection — abbreviation	Renal & Nephrology Emergency & Critical Care
RCA	right coronary artery	Artery supplying the right side and bottom of the heart	Cardiology
RCA	root cause analysis (abbreviation)	Investigation method after serious events	Nursing General Medical
RCA territory	right coronary artery (territory)	Bottom heart wall supplied by the RCA — descriptor	Cardiology
RCC	renal cell carcinoma	Most common type of kidney cancer	Renal & Nephrology Hematology & Oncology
RCCA	right common carotid artery	Neck artery to the right brain	Neurology General Medical
RCE	red cell exchange	Apheresis swapping patient red cells for donor cells	Hematology & Oncology
RCM	restrictive cardiomyopathy	Stiff heart muscle that cannot fill properly	Cardiology
RCRI	Revised Cardiac Risk Index	Preoperative cardiac risk score	Surgery Cardiology
RCT	randomized controlled trial	Study randomly assigning participants to interventions	General Medical
RCT	root canal treatment (dental)	Nerve treatment of a tooth — dental	General Medical Surgery
RCVS	reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome	Temporary brain artery narrowing with thunderclap pain	Neurology Radiology & Imaging
Rd	lenalidomide dexamethasone	Myeloma treatment combination shorthand	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
RD	registered dietitian	Nutrition professional qualification	General Medical Gastroenterology
RD	retinal detachment	Retina separating from the back of the eye	General Medical Emergency & Critical Care
RDI	respiratory disturbance index	Sleep breathing disturbances per hour, including arousals	Respiratory
RDP	random donor platelets	Platelets pooled from several donors	Hematology & Oncology Laboratory
RDS	respiratory distress syndrome	Breathing failure from immature or injured lungs, classically in newborns	Respiratory Pediatrics
RDW	red cell distribution width	Measure of variation in red cell size	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
re-excision	re-excision (margins)	Repeat surgery clearing positive margins	Surgery Hematology & Oncology
ReA	reactive arthritis	Joint inflammation triggered by an infection elsewhere	Musculoskeletal Infectious Disease
Reach Out and Read	Reach Out and Read (literacy program)	Book-giving literacy program in clinics	Pediatrics
rear-facing	rear-facing (car seat stage)	Backward-facing seat stage	Pediatrics Nursing
recall check	product recall check (car seat/crib)	Verifying equipment is not recalled	Pediatrics Nursing
recession	recession (muscle surgery)	Weakening an eye muscle by moving it back	Surgery
recirculation	access recirculation (measurement)	Cleaned blood re-entering the needle, wasting dialysis	Renal & Nephrology
RECIST	Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors	Standard tumor measurement response rules	Hematology & Oncology Radiology & Imaging
reconcile	medication reconciliation	Comparing medication lists at transitions of care	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing General Medical
rectal tube	rectal tube (device)	Tube managing liquid stool	Nursing Gastroenterology
recurrence graft	recurrent disease (graft)	Original disease returning in the transplant	Renal & Nephrology Laboratory
recurrent laryngeal	recurrent laryngeal nerve (anatomy)	Voice box nerve looping under the aorta	General Medical Surgery Endocrinology
recurrent loss	recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL)	Repeated miscarriages needing evaluation	Obstetrics & Gynecology
red flags develop	developmental red flags (warning signs)	Milestone warnings needing evaluation	Pediatrics Neurology
red reflex	red reflex (newborn eye exam)	Eye glow checked in babies	Pediatrics Nursing
RED-S	relative energy deficiency in sport	Updated broader athlete energy syndrome	Psychiatry Endocrinology Musculoskeletal
reduction pulled	reduction maneuver (pulled elbow)	Supination-flexion or pronation fix for pulled elbow	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal Emergency & Critical Care
refeeding	refeeding syndrome (eating)	Dangerous shifts restarting nutrition — eating-disorder	Psychiatry Endocrinology Emergency & Critical Care Laboratory
reflex decay	acoustic reflex decay (test)	Stapedius reflex fatigue test	Neurology
refractive error child	refractive error (childhood)	Focusing error needing glasses — childhood	Pediatrics
REG	regular diet	Unrestricted normal food	Nursing
regression develop	developmental regression (loss of skills)	Losing gained skills, an urgent warning sign	Pediatrics Neurology Psychiatry
reintubation	reintubation (event)	Replacing a breathing tube after failed removal	Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care
reliever	reliever therapy (asthma rescue)	Quick relief asthma treatment	Pediatrics Respiratory Prescription & Medication Orders
REM	rapid eye movement	Sleep stage with quick eye movements and vivid dreams	Neurology
renal art	renal artery (anatomy)	Artery to the kidney	Renal & Nephrology Radiology & Imaging
Renal Bx	renal biopsy	Sampling kidney tissue with a needle for examination	Renal & Nephrology Laboratory
renal diet	renal diet (potassium/phosphate restricted)	Kidney diet limiting potassium, phosphate and salt	Nursing Renal & Nephrology
renal US	renal ultrasound (study)	Kidney ultrasound — study	Pediatrics Renal & Nephrology Radiology & Imaging
replacement fluid	replacement fluid (CRRT)	Clean fluid infused during continuous therapy	Renal & Nephrology Emergency & Critical Care
rescue course	rescue course (antenatal steroids)	Repeat steroid course when delivery looms again	Obstetrics & Gynecology Prescription & Medication Orders
resection eye	resection (eye muscle surgery)	Strengthening an eye muscle by shortening it	Surgery
responsive feeding	responsive feeding (cue-based)	Feeding following the baby's hunger and fullness cues	Pediatrics Nursing
restraint	physical restraint (order)	Device or hold restricting movement, used as a last resort	Nursing Psychiatry Emergency & Critical Care
resume med	resume medication (order)	Instruction to restart a held drug	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
Retic	reticulocyte count	Count of young red blood cells	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
retic index	reticulocyte index	Corrected reticulocyte count for anemia assessment	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
retic neonate	reticulocyte count (hemolysis)	Young red cell count in jaundice workup	Pediatrics Laboratory
retinal hemorrhage child	retinal hemorrhages (abuse evaluation)	Eye bleeding in abusive head trauma checks	Pediatrics Neurology Emergency & Critical Care
retinoblastoma	retinoblastoma (diagnosis)	Childhood eye cancer — diagnosis	Pediatrics Hematology & Oncology Surgery
retraction pocket	retraction pocket (eardrum)	Sucked-in eardrum segment	Pediatrics Surgery
retractions	retractions (distress sign)	Skin sucking in with breathing effort	Pediatrics Respiratory Nursing Emergency & Critical Care
Rett	Rett syndrome (neurodevelopmental)	Genetic disorder mainly affecting girls' development	Neurology Pediatrics Psychiatry
return to learn	return-to-learn (protocol)	Graduated school return after concussion	Pediatrics Neurology
return to play	return-to-play (protocol)	Graduated sports return after concussion	Pediatrics Neurology Musculoskeletal
reversal of Hartmann	Hartmann reversal	Reconnecting the bowel after a Hartmann operation	Surgery Gastroenterology
reverse isolation	protective isolation (reverse)	Isolating the patient from others' germs	Nursing Hematology & Oncology
reverse Trend	reverse Trendelenburg position	Bed tilted head-up for surgery or breathing	Nursing Surgery
Rezūm	water vapor therapy (prostate)	Steam treatment for enlarged prostate	Surgery Renal & Nephrology
RF	rectus femoris (muscle)	Front thigh muscle crossing hip and knee	Musculoskeletal
RF	rheumatoid factor	Antibody often found in rheumatoid arthritis	Laboratory Musculoskeletal
RFA	radiofrequency ablation	Heat-based destruction of abnormal tissue or pathways	Surgery Cardiology Radiology & Imaging
RFTs	renal function tests	Group of blood tests assessing the kidneys	Laboratory Renal & Nephrology
rFVIIa	recombinant activated factor VII	Clotting factor drug for severe bleeding disorders	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
RGA	right gastric artery	Small artery along the stomach's lower curve	Gastroenterology
Rh	Rhesus factor	Blood group feature, positive or negative	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Obstetrics & Gynecology
Rh(D) immune	Rh immune globulin (RhoGAM)	Anti-D injection preventing sensitization	Obstetrics & Gynecology Laboratory Prescription & Medication Orders
RHA	right hepatic artery	Artery to the right liver	Gastroenterology Radiology & Imaging
rhabdo	rhabdomyosarcoma (childhood)	Muscle-type soft tissue cancer of childhood	Pediatrics Hematology & Oncology
rhabdomyoma cardiac	cardiac rhabdomyoma (tuberous marker)	Heart muscle tumor of newborns suggesting tuberous sclerosis	Pediatrics Cardiology Neurology
RHC	right heart catheterization	Catheter test measuring pressures in the right heart and lungs	Cardiology Respiratory
RhD	Rh D antigen	Main Rh blood group antigen	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Obstetrics & Gynecology
RHD	rheumatic heart disease	Heart valve damage following rheumatic fever	Cardiology
rheumatic fever	acute rheumatic fever (diagnosis)	Post-strep inflammatory disease — diagnosis	Pediatrics Cardiology Infectious Disease
RhIG	Rho(D) immune globulin	Injection that prevents Rh blood-group sensitisation in pregnancy	Obstetrics & Gynecology Hematology & Oncology
rhizotomy	rhizotomy (nerve root lesioning)	Procedure destroying pain-carrying nerve fibers	Surgery Neurology Musculoskeletal
rib fractures child	posterior rib fractures (abuse marker)	Back rib breaks strongly linked to inflicted injury	Pediatrics Radiology & Imaging Emergency & Critical Care
RIBO	ribociclib (chart shorthand)	CDK4/6 blocker shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
RIC	reduced-intensity conditioning	Gentler transplant preparation for older patients	Hematology & Oncology
rickets	nutritional rickets (diagnosis)	Soft growing bones from vitamin D lack — diagnosis	Pediatrics Endocrinology Musculoskeletal
RIF	rifampin	Antibiotic medicine used against tuberculosis	Prescription & Medication Orders Infectious Disease
RIFLE	Risk Injury Failure Loss End-stage criteria	AKI classification system	Renal & Nephrology Emergency & Critical Care
RIG	rabies immune globulin	Antibody injection given as part of rabies post-exposure care	Infectious Disease
rigid flatfoot	rigid flatfoot (warning type)	Stiff flat foot needing evaluation	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal
Rinne	Rinne test (tuning fork)	Air versus bone conduction comparison	Neurology General Medical
RIPE	rifampin isoniazid pyrazinamide ethambutol	Standard four-drug tuberculosis regimen shorthand	Infectious Disease Prescription & Medication Orders
RIRS	retrograde intrarenal surgery	Stone surgery with a scope passed up the ureter	Renal & Nephrology Surgery Radiology & Imaging
RIS	radiologically isolated syndrome	MS-like MRI findings without symptoms	Neurology Radiology & Imaging
RIS	radiology information system	System managing radiology workflow and reports	Radiology & Imaging
Risser	Risser staging (skeletal maturity)	Pelvis growth plate maturity stage	Pediatrics Musculoskeletal Radiology & Imaging
RIT	radioimmunotherapy	Antibody carrying radiation to cancer cells	Hematology & Oncology Radiology & Imaging
RITUX	rituximab (chart shorthand)	CD20 antibody shorthand	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
RK	radial keratotomy	Historical refractive corneal surgery	General Medical Surgery
RL	Ringer's lactate	Intravenous fluid containing salts and lactate	Prescription & Medication Orders Surgery
RLD	right lateral decubitus	Lying on the right side	Nursing Radiology & Imaging
RLE	refractive lens exchange	Lens replacement for vision correction	General Medical Surgery
RLL	right lower lobe (anatomy)	Bottom section of the right lung	Respiratory
RLS	restless legs syndrome	Urge to move the legs, worse at rest and at night	Neurology
RML	right middle lobe (anatomy)	Middle section of the right lung	Respiratory
RMSF	Rocky Mountain spotted fever	Tick-borne bacterial illness causing fever and rash	Infectious Disease
RN	registered nurse	Licensed nurse qualification	General Medical Nursing
RNA	ribonucleic acid	Molecule helping carry out genetic instructions	Laboratory General Medical
RNFL	retinal nerve fiber layer	Layer thinned in glaucoma, measured by OCT	General Medical
RNS	responsive neurostimulation	Implanted device detecting and stopping seizures	Neurology Surgery
RNS test	repetitive nerve stimulation (test)	Fatigue test for myasthenia	Neurology
RO water	reverse osmosis water (dialysis)	Purified water for dialysis fluid	Renal & Nephrology
roadmap	roadmap imaging	Vessel outline overlay guiding catheter work	Radiology & Imaging
roc	rocuronium (intubation)	Fast paralyzing drug for tube placement	Emergency & Critical Care Prescription & Medication Orders
Rochester criteria	Rochester criteria (febrile infant)	Low-risk young infant criteria	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
ROI	region of interest	Measured area on an image	Radiology & Imaging
ROM	range of motion	Amount a joint can move in each direction	Musculoskeletal
ROM	rupture of membranes	Breaking of the fluid-filled sac around the baby	Obstetrics & Gynecology
ROMA	risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm	Score combining markers to assess an ovarian mass	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology Obstetrics & Gynecology
Romberg	Romberg test (balance)	Standing balance test with eyes closed	Neurology Musculoskeletal
Rome IV	Rome IV criteria (functional GI)	Symptom criteria for functional gut disorders	Pediatrics Gastroenterology
room check	room check (safety)	Scheduled safety inspection of a patient room	Nursing Psychiatry
room-sharing	room-sharing (sleep guidance)	Baby sleeping in the parents' room in a separate bed	Pediatrics Nursing
room-sharing benefit	room-sharing (protective)	Lower risk arrangement keeping baby nearby	Pediatrics Nursing
root cause	root cause analysis (RCA)	Structured investigation of a safety event	Nursing General Medical
rooting	rooting reflex (feeding)	Head turning toward a cheek touch seeking food	Pediatrics Neurology Nursing
ROP	retinopathy of prematurity	Eye disease affecting premature babies	Pediatrics
rope ladder	rope-ladder cannulation (technique)	Rotating needle sites along a fistula	Renal & Nephrology Nursing
Rorschach	Rorschach inkblot test	Projective personality test	Psychiatry
ROS	review of systems	System-by-system checklist of symptoms	General Medical
ROSC	return of spontaneous circulation	Heartbeat and circulation restarting after cardiac arrest	Cardiology Emergency & Critical Care
ROSC care	post-ROSC care	Care bundle after return of circulation	Emergency & Critical Care Nursing Cardiology
roseola	roseola infantum (exanthem)	High fever then rash illness of babies	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
rosette test	rosette test (fetal blood screen)	Screen for a large fetomaternal bleed	Obstetrics & Gynecology Laboratory
rotary chair	rotary chair testing (vestibular)	Rotating chair balance assessment	Neurology
rotation flap	rotation flap (local)	Nearby skin rotated into a defect	Surgery
rotator repair	rotator cuff repair (arthroscopic)	Reattaching torn shoulder tendons	Surgery Musculoskeletal
rotavirus	rotavirus vaccine (oral)	Oral diarrhea-preventing vaccine	Pediatrics Infectious Disease Prescription & Medication Orders
ROTEM	rotational thromboelastometry	Whole-blood test of clot formation and strength	Laboratory Hematology & Oncology
rounding	rounding (ward rounds)	Team visits to each patient to plan care	Nursing General Medical
routine order	routine (order priority)	Standard priority order	Nursing General Medical
RoV	rotavirus	Diarrhea virus of infancy, vaccine preventable	Infectious Disease Gastroenterology Pediatrics Laboratory
RPh	registered pharmacist	Licensed pharmacist	Prescription & Medication Orders
RPOC	retained products of conception	Pregnancy tissue remaining in the uterus after birth or miscarriage	Obstetrics & Gynecology
RPR	rapid plasma reagin	Blood screening test for syphilis	Laboratory Infectious Disease
RPR titer	rapid plasma reagin titer	Syphilis activity level followed during treatment	Laboratory Infectious Disease
RR	respiratory rate	Number of breaths per minute	Respiratory Vitals & Assessment
RR setting	respiratory rate (ventilator setting)	Breaths-per-minute setting — ventilator	Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care
RR-TB	rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis	TB resistant to the key medicine rifampicin	Infectious Disease Respiratory
RRD	rhegmatogenous retinal detachment	Retina detached through a tear	General Medical Emergency & Critical Care
RRMS	relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis	Multiple sclerosis with attacks separated by recovery periods	Neurology
RRT	renal replacement therapy	Dialysis-type treatments replacing kidney function	Renal & Nephrology Emergency & Critical Care
rs-fMRI	resting-state functional MRI	Brain network imaging without a task	Radiology & Imaging Neurology
RSBI	rapid shallow breathing index	Breathing pattern score predicting weaning success	Respiratory Emergency & Critical Care
RSD	reflex sympathetic dystrophy (older CRPS term)	Older name for complex regional pain	Neurology Musculoskeletal
RSE	refractory status epilepticus	Status continuing despite first treatments	Neurology Emergency & Critical Care
RSI	rapid sequence induction	Fast airway procedure using medicines to place a breathing tube	Emergency & Critical Care
RSV	respiratory syncytial virus	Common virus causing airway and lung infections, especially in infants	Respiratory Infectious Disease
RSV immun	RSV immunization (nirsevimab)	Antibody shot protecting babies from RSV	Pediatrics Infectious Disease Prescription & Medication Orders
RSV prophylaxis	RSV prophylaxis (eligibility)	Antibody prevention for high-risk babies	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
RT	respiratory therapist	Clinician specialising in breathing care	Respiratory
RT	respiratory therapy	Breathing treatments and airway care	Respiratory
RT-PCR	reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction	RNA virus test, used for influenza and COVID-19	Laboratory Infectious Disease
RT-QuIC	real-time quaking-induced conversion	Highly specific prion disease test	Neurology Laboratory Infectious Disease
rT3	reverse T3	Inactive thyroid hormone sometimes measured in illness	Laboratory Endocrinology
RTA	renal tubular acidosis	Kidney tubule problem causing blood acidity	Renal & Nephrology
RTC	road traffic collision	Crash involving vehicles on the road	Emergency & Critical Care
rTMS	repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation	Repeated magnetic pulse treatment to brain areas	Neurology Psychiatry
RTS	Revised Trauma Score	Score grading injury severity from vital signs	Emergency & Critical Care
rTSA	reverse total shoulder arthroplasty	Reversed-geometry shoulder replacement	Surgery Musculoskeletal
RTx	radiotherapy	Treatment using targeted radiation	Hematology & Oncology Radiology & Imaging
RTX	rituximab	Targeted antibody medicine depleting B cells	Prescription & Medication Orders Hematology & Oncology
RUDAS	Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale	Culture-fair dementia screen	Neurology Psychiatry
RUL	right upper lobe (anatomy)	Top section of the right lung	Respiratory
rule-out sepsis	rule-out sepsis (workup phrase)	Evaluation excluding infection in a baby	Pediatrics Infectious Disease
rumination	rumination syndrome (functional)	Effortless food regurgitation pattern	Pediatrics Gastroenterology Psychiatry
runoff	runoff study	Contrast imaging tracing leg arteries downward	Radiology & Imaging
RUSH	rapid ultrasound in shock	Bedside ultrasound protocol for shock	Radiology & Imaging Emergency & Critical Care
RUTF	ready-to-use therapeutic food	Peanut-based malnutrition treatment food	Pediatrics Prescription & Medication Orders
RV	residual volume	Air remaining in the lungs after breathing out fully	Respiratory
RV	rhinovirus	Main cause of the common cold	Infectious Disease Respiratory Laboratory
RV	right ventricle	Chamber that pumps blood to the lungs	Cardiology
RVAD	right ventricular assist device	Mechanical pump that helps the chamber pumping to the lungs	Cardiology Surgery
RVD-lite	lenalidomide bortezomib dexamethasone (reduced intensity)	Gentler myeloma induction for frail patients	Hematology & Oncology Prescription & Medication Orders
RVH	right ventricular hypertrophy	Thickened wall of the chamber pumping to the lungs	Cardiology
Rx	prescription	A written order for medicine or treatment	Prescription & Medication Orders
RY esophagojej	Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy	Food pipe joined to small bowel after total gastrectomy	Surgery Gastroenterology
RY reconstruction	Roux-en-Y reconstruction	Bowel rearrangement after stomach surgery	Surgery Gastroenterology
RYGB	Roux-en-Y gastric bypass	Weight-loss operation rerouting the stomach and intestine	Surgery Gastroenterology Endocrinology
RZV	recombinant zoster vaccine	Shingles vaccine for older and at-risk adults	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 "R"

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