Medical abbreviations and acronyms (H)

This article contains a list of commonly used medical abbreviations and acronyms that start with the letter Hand may be encountered in medicine and radiology (please keep both the main list and any sublists in alphabetic order).

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

• H
  • height
  • henry (SI unit of inductance)
  • histidine (single letter amino acid code)
  • hospital
  • hydrogen
• H/A: headache
• H&N: head and neck
• HA
  • headache
  • hepatic adenoma
  • hepatic artery
• HAI: healthcare-associated infection
• HAMA: human anti-mouse antibodies 
• HANAC syndrome: hereditary angiopathy with nephropathy, aneurysms, and muscle cramps syndrome
• HAND: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders
• HAP: hospital-acquired pneumonia
• HAR: high anterior resection
• HASTE: half-Fourier acquisition single shot turbo spin-echo (Siemens)
• HAV: hepatitis A virus
• Hb: haemoglobin
• HbC: haemoglobin C
• HbCO: carboxyhaemoglobin
• HBE: hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy
• HbF: fetal haemoglobin
• HbS: haemoglobin sickle cell
• HbSC: haemoglobin sickle cell C 
• HBV: hepatitis B virus
• HC
  • head circumference
  • hydrocephalus
• HCA: healthcare assistant
• HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma
• HCG: human chorionic gonadotropin
• HCLA: hydrocortisone and local anaesthetic
• HCM: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• HCP: hydrocephalus
• HCT: haematocrit 
• HCV: hepatitis C virus
• HCW: healthcare worker
• HD
  • haemodialysis
  • Hashimoto disease
  • Hodgkin disease
  • Huntington disease
• HDL: high density lipoprotein
• HDP: hydroxyethylene diphosphonate
• HDR: holodiastolic flow reversal
• HDU: high dependency unit
• HDV: hepatitis D virus
• He: helium
• HE: hepatic encephalopathy
• HELLP: haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets
• HER2: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2
• HEV: hepatitis E virus
• HF
  • haemofiltration
  • heart failure
• HFD: high fibre diet
• HFNP: high flow nasal prongs
• HFpEF: heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
• HFrEF: heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
• Hg: mercury
• HGG: high grade glioma
• HGPIN: high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia
• HH
  • hepatic hydrothorax
  • hiatus hernia
• HHD: hypertensive heart disease
• HHS: hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state
• H&H: haemoglobin and haematocrit
• HHT: hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia
• HHV: human herpesvirus
• HI
  • Haller index
  • harmonic imaging
  • head injury
• HIA: hallux interphalangeal angle
• HIDA: hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid
• HIE: neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy
• HINTS: Head Impulse, Nystagmus, and Test of Skew (for central vertigo)
• HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 1996 (US)
• HIPEC: intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion / hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy
• HIS: hospital information system
• His: histidine
• Histo: histology
• Histopath: histopathology
• HIT: heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
• HIV: human immunodeficiency virus
• HIVAN: HIV-associated nephropathy
• HL: Hodgkin lymphoma
• HL7: health level-7
• HLA: human leukocyteleucocyte antigen
• HLCNH: high-level care nursing home
• HLH: haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
• HLHS: hypoplastic left heart syndrome
• HMB: heavy menstrual bleeding
• HMD: hyaline membrane disease
• HMG: human menopausal gonadotropin
• HMG-CoA reductase: 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase
• HN: hydronephrosis
• HNPCC: hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
• HO
  • heterotopic ossification
  • house officer
• H/O: history of
• HOCM
  • high-osmolar contrast medium
  • hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
• HOD: hypertrophic olivary degeneration
• Hon: honorary
• HOP: head of pancreas
• HP
  • haemosuccus pancreaticus
  • Hartmann procedure
  • hypersensitivity pneumonitis
• H&P: history and physical examination
• HPB: hepatopancreaticobiliary
• HPC: history of presenting complaint/condition
• HPE
  • histopathological examination
  • holoprosencephaly
• HPF: high-powered field of view
• HPNST: hybrid peripheral nerve sheath tumour
• HPOA: hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy
• HPT: home pregnancy test
• HPTX: haemopneumothorax
• HPV: human papillomavirus
• HR: heart rate
• HRAD: hyperreactive airway disease
• HRBV: high resolution BOLD venography
• HRCT: high resolution CT
• HRT: hormone-replacement therapy
• HR-Tc-99m: hydrolyzedhydrolysed reduced technetium-99m
• HS
  • at bedtime (Latin: hora somni)
  • head strike
  • heart sounds
• HSC: hysteroscopy
• HSCT: haemopoietic stem cell transplant
• HSDNM: heart sounds dual, no murmur
• HSG: hysterosalpingogram
• HSM: hepatosplenomegaly
• HSMVA: high speed motor vehicle accident
• HSP: Henoch-Schonlein purpura
• HSV: herpes simplex virus
• HT
  • Hashimoto thyroiditis
  • height
  • hypertension
• HTLV: human T-cell lymphotropic virus
• HTN: hypertension
• HTO: high tibial osteotomy
• HTX
  • haemothorax
  • Hashithyrotoxicosis
• HU: Hounsfield unit
• HUN: hydroureteronephrosis
• HUS
  • head ultrasound
  • haemolytic uraemic syndrome
• HV: hepatic vein
• HVL: half value layer
• Hx: history
• HZ: homozygote
• Hz: hertz