This article contains a list of commonly used medical abbreviations and acronyms that start with the letter H and 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

• HAGMA: high anion gap metabolic acidosis

• 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: hemoglobin

• HbC: hemoglobin C

• HbCO: carboxyhemoglobin

• HBE: hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy

• HbF: fetal hemoglobin

• HbS: hemoglobin sickle cell

• HbSC: hemoglobin sickle cell C 

• HBSL: hypomyelination with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and leg spasticity

• HBV: hepatitis B virus

• HC

  • head circumference

  • hydrocephalus

• HCA: healthcare assistant

• HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma

• HCG: human chorionic gonadotropin

• HCLA: hydrocortisone and local anesthetic

• HCM: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

• HCP: hydrocephalus

• HCT: hematocrit 

• HCV: hepatitis C virus

• HCW: healthcare worker

• HD

  • hemodialysis

  • Hashimoto disease

  • Hodgkin disease

  • Huntington disease

• HDL: high density lipoprotein

• HDN: hemolytic disease of the newborn

• HDP: hydroxyethylene diphosphonate

• HDR: holodiastolic flow reversal

• HDU: high dependency unit

• HDV: hepatitis D virus

• He: helium

• HE: hepatic encephalopathy

• HEHE: hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma

• HELLP: hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets

• HER2: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2

• HEV: hepatitis E virus

• HF

  • hemofiltration

  • heart failure

• HFD: high fiber diet

• HFmrEF: heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction

• HFNC: high flow nasal cannula

• HFNP: high flow nasal prongs

• HFpEF: heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

• HFrEF: heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

• Hg: mercury

• HGBL: high-grade B-cell lymphoma

• HGG: high grade glioma

• HGPIN: high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia

• HH

  • hepatic hydrothorax

  • hiatus hernia

• H&H: hemoglobin and hematocrit

• HHD: hypertensive heart disease

• HHS: hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state

• HHT

  • hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

  • heterotopic heart transplant

• HHV: human herpesvirus

• HI

  • Haller index

  • harmonic imaging

  • head injury

• HIA

  • hallux interphalangeal angle

  • head injury assessment

• Hib: Haemophilus influenzae B

• HIDA: hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid

• HIE: neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

• HINTS: Head Impulse, Nystagmus, and Test of Skew (for central vs peripheral acute continuous 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

  • head impulse test

  • heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

• HIV: human immunodeficiency virus

• HIVAN: HIV-associated nephropathy

• HL

  • Hodgkin lymphoma

  • humeral length (obstetric US)

• HL7: health level-7

• HLA: human leukocyte antigen

• HLCNH: high-level care nursing home

• HLH: hemophagocytic 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

• HoLEP: holmium laser enucleation of the prostate​

• HOP: head of pancreas

• HP

  • hemosuccus 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

• HPN: home parenteral nutrition

• HPNST: hybrid peripheral nerve sheath tumor

• HPOA: hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy

• HPT: home pregnancy test

• HPTX: hemopneumothorax

• 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: hydrolyzed 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

• HSMBA: high speed motorbike accident

• HSMBC: high speed motorbike crash

• HSMVA: high speed motor vehicle accident

• HSMVC: high speed motor vehicle crash

• HSP

  • Henoch-Schönlein purpura

  • hereditary spastic paraplegia (hereditary spastic paraparesis)

  • hypersensitivity pneumonitis

• HSV: herpes simplex virus

• HT

  • Hashimoto thyroiditis

  • height

  • hypertension

• HTLV: human T-cell lymphotropic virus

• HTN: hypertension

• HTO: high tibial osteotomy

• HTX

  • hemothorax

  • Hashithyrotoxicosis

• HU: Hounsfield unit

• HUN: hydroureteronephrosis

• HUS

  • head ultrasound

  • hemolytic uremic syndrome

• HV: hepatic vein

• HVI: hollow viscus injury

• HVL: half value layer

• Hx: history

• HZ: homozygote

• Hz: hertz