Medical abbreviations and acronyms (S)

This article contains a list of commonly used medical abbreviations and acronyms that start with the letter S and may be encountered in medicine and radiology (please keep 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

• S
  • second (SI unit of time)
  • sacral
  • sulfur
• SA
  • semen analysis
  • sinoatrial
• SAA: serum amyloid A
• SAB: subacromial bursa
• SABA: short-acting beta-2 agonist (eg salbutamol)
• SABR: stereotactic ablative radiotherapy
• SAE: sepsis-associated encephalopathy
• Sag: sagittal
• SAH: subarachnoid haemorrhage
• SALT: speech and language therapy
• SAM: segmental arterial mediolysis
• SAPHO: synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis
• SAR: specific absorption rate
• SB
  • small bowel
  • spectral broadening
  • stillbirth
• Sb: antimony (Latin: stibium)
• SBC: simple bone cyst
• SBE: subacute bacterial endocarditis
• SBF: small bowel follow through
• SBFT: small bowel follow through
• SBO: small bowel obstruction
• SBP: systolic blood pressure
• SBRT: stereotactic body radiotherapy
• SC
  • subcutaneous
  • spinal cord
• Sc: scandium
• SCA
  • subclavian artery
  • superior cerebellar artery
  • sickle cell anaemia
• SCC:
  • squamous cell cancer
  • squamous cell carcinoma
  • semicircular canal
  • spinal cord compression
• SCCD: semicircular canal dehiscence
• SCD
  • sickle cell disease
  • sudden cardiac death
• SCDO: spondylocostal dysostosis
• SCIWORA: spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality
• SCJ: sternoclavicular joint
• SCLC: small cell lung cancer
• SCM: sternocleidomastoid
• SCoR: society and college of radiographers (UK)
• SCORIF: stimulated cycle oocyte retrieval in [office] fertilisation
• SCT: stem cell transplant
• SCV: subclavian vein
• SD
  • standard deviation
  • stable disease (malignant disease/RECIST)
  • septal deviation
• SDASH: shunt-dependency in symptomatic aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage score
• SDD: surfactant deficiency disorder
• SDH: subdural haemorrhage
• SE
  • side-effect
  • spin echo
  • status epilepticus
• Se: selenium
• SEC: second
• SEE: septic-embolic encephalitis
• SeHCAT: selenium homocholic acid taurine
• SEMS: self-expandable metallic stent
• SEP: superior end-plate (vertebral body)
• Ser: serine
• SESTAMIBI: sesta-methoxyisobutylisonitrile
• SFA: superficial femoral artery (femoral artery preferred)
• SFV: superficial femoral vein (femoral vein preferred)
• SGA: supraglottic airway
• SGC: Swan-Ganz catheter
• SGHL: superior glenohumeral ligament
• SH
  • social history
  • Salter-Harris
• SHG: sonohysterogram
• SHO: senior house officer
• SHORT syndrome: short stature, hyperextensibility and/or inguinal hernia, ocular depression, Rieger anomaly, teething delay
• SHx: social history
• SI
  • sacroiliac
  • secondary infertility
  • signal intensity
  • small intestine
  • systeme internationale (d'unites) (SI units)
  • sexual intercourse
  • serious incident
  • situs inversus
• Si: silicon
• SIADH: syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion
• SICRET: small infarctions of cochlear, retinal and encephalic tissue = Susac syndrome
• SIDM: steroid-induced diabetes mellitus
• SIDS: sudden infant death syndrome
• SIJ: sacroiliac joint
• SIM: simulation
• SIMV: synchronised intermittent mechanical ventilation
• SINS: spinal instability neoplastic score
• SIT: situs inversus totalis
• SJS: Stevens-Johnson syndrome
• SkM: skeletal muscle
• SLAC: scapholunate advanced collapse
• SLAP: superior labral anterior-posterior (tear)
• SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus
• SLG: sublingual gland
• SLJ: Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease
• SLL: scapholunate ligament
• SLN: sentinel lymph node
• SLNBx: sentinel lymph node biopsy
• SLT: speech and language therapy
• SM
  • submucosa
  • smooth muscle
• SMA: superior mesenteric artery
• SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely
• SMAS: superficial musculoaponeurotic system
• SMG: submandibular gland
• SMEI: severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy
• SMS: sonographic Murphy sign
• SMV: superior mesenteric vein
• Sn
  • sensitivity
  • tin (Latin: stannum)
• SNAC: scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse
• SNBx: sentinel node biopsy
• SNHL: sensorineural hearing loss
• SNOH: surgical neck of humerus
• SNP: single nucleotide polymorphism
• SNR: signal-to-noise ratio
• SNS: sympathetic nervous system
• SOA: swelling of ankles
• SOAP: subjective, objective, assessment, plan (medical notes)
• SOB: shortness of breath
• SOBAR: shortness of breath at rest
• SOBOE: shortness of breath on exertion
• SOD: septo-optic dysplasia
• SOF: superior orbital fissure
• SOL: space-occupying lesion
• SOP: standard operating procedure
• SoR: society of radiographers (UK)
• SOS
  • sinusoidal obstruction syndrome
  • satisfaction of search (error)
• SOV: superior ophthalmic vein
• SP
  • sacral promontory
  • spinous process
• Sp: specificity
• S/P: status post (i.e. post procedure/surgery)
• SPACE
  • spatial and chemical-shift encoded excitation
  • sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution (Siemens)
• SpaceOAR: space organ at risk
• SPAIR: spectral attenuated inversion recovery
• SPC: suprapubic catheter
• SPECT: single photon emission computed tomography
• SPET: single photon emission computed tomography
• SPGR: spoiled gradient recalled
• SPIR: spectral presaturation with inversion recovery
• SPMS: secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
• SPN: solitary pulmonary nodule
• SQ
  • subcutaneous
  • status quo
• SR: sinus rhythm
• Sr: strontium
• SRO: sagittal ramus osteotomy
• SROM: spontaneous rupture of membranes
• SRS
  • stereotactic radiosurgery
  • somatostatin receptor scintigraphy
  • Silver-Russell syndrome
• SS
  • Sjögren syndrome
  • systemic sclerosis
  • supraspinatus muscle
  • straight sinus
  • situs solitus
• S&S: signs and symptoms
• SSFP: steady state free precession
• SSG: split skin graft
• SSS
  • sick sinus syndrome
  • superior sagittal sinus
• SST: short Synacthen test
• ST
  • speech therapy
  • ST segment on ECG
• STA: superficial temporal artery
• STAMCA: superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery anastomosis
• staph: staphylococcus
• stat: immediately (Latin: statim)
• STD
  • sexually transmitted disease
  • ST depression
• STE: ST elevation
• STEMI: ST elevation myocardial infarct
• STI:
  • sexually transmitted infection
  • soft tissue injury
• STIR
  • short tau inversion recovery
  • short TI inversion recovery
• STJ: subtalar joint
• STP: standard temperature and pressure
• STT: scaphotrapeziotrapezoid joint
• SUA: single umbilical artery
• Sub: subiculum
• subcut: subcutaneous
• SUDEP: sudden unexplained death in epilepsy
• SUI: serious untoward incident
• supraclav: supraclavicular
• SUV: standardised uptake value
• SV: stroke volume
• Sv: sievert
• SVC: superior vena cava
• SVD: spontaneous vaginal delivery
• SVT
  • superficial venous thrombosis
  • supraventricular tachycardia
• SWI: susceptibility-weighted imaging
• SWOT analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
• SWS: Sturge-Weber syndrome
• Sx: signs
• SXR: skull x-ray
• Sy: symptoms
• Symp: symptoms
• Symph: symphysis pubis
• Sys: system review