What does hx (history) stand for in a medical context?

Medical Abbreviation: Hx

In medical terminology, "Hx" is the standard abbreviation for "history." 1

Clinical Usage

• Hx is universally used across medical specialties to denote a patient's medical history, including past medical conditions, surgical procedures, medications, and relevant clinical events 1

• The abbreviation appears consistently in clinical documentation, including:

  • Past medical history (e.g., "hx of HF" meaning history of heart failure) 1
  • Family history (e.g., "Family Hx SCD" meaning family history of sudden cardiac death) 1
  • Surgical history (e.g., "Hx of MI, PCI" meaning history of myocardial infarction and percutaneous coronary intervention) 1

Standardized Medical Documentation

• The Alzheimer's Association clinical practice guidelines explicitly define "Hx = history" as part of their standardized diagnostic framework, demonstrating its formal acceptance in medical nomenclature 1

• Multiple cardiology guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association consistently use "Hx" to denote history throughout their clinical algorithms and treatment recommendations 1

Context-Specific Applications

• In diagnostic evaluations, Hx represents the comprehensive collection of patient information including symptoms, prior diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes 1

• In risk stratification, "hx of" precedes specific conditions to indicate prior occurrence (e.g., "9% with hx of HF" meaning 9% of patients had a history of heart failure) 1