What are common blood test referral abbreviations and their meanings?

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Last updated: April 22, 2025 • View editorial policy

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From the Guidelines

Blood test referral abbreviations are crucial for efficient communication between healthcare providers and laboratories, with common abbreviations including CBC, BMP, CMP, A1C, LFT, TSH, and PT/INR, as seen in recent studies 1. These abbreviations help standardize test ordering and improve communication efficiency.

  • CBC (Complete Blood Count) measures red and white blood cells and platelets.
  • BMP (Basic Metabolic Panel) checks electrolytes, kidney function, and glucose.
  • CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel) is an expanded version of BMP that includes liver function tests.
  • A1C (Hemoglobin A1C) measures average blood glucose over 2-3 months.
  • LFT (Liver Function Tests) assess liver health.
  • TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) evaluates thyroid function.
  • PT/INR (Prothrombin Time/International Normalized Ratio) assesses blood clotting. Other common abbreviations include ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) and CRP (C-Reactive Protein) for inflammation, BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) for kidney function, and Hgb/Hct (Hemoglobin/Hematocrit) for anemia evaluation, as noted in studies such as 1 and 1. When receiving test results, patients can ask their healthcare provider to explain any unfamiliar abbreviations to better understand their health information, as emphasized in the guidelines 1.

From the Research

Blood Test Referral Abbreviations

  • The study 2 provides a comprehensive list of medical abbreviations, including those used in pathology reports and medical records.
  • The list contains 12,097 terms, with 5,772 abbreviations having unique expansions, and 6,325 polysemous abbreviation/expansion pairs.
  • The study categorizes abbreviations into six non-exclusive groups: ephemeral, hyponymous, monosemous, polysemous, masqueraders of common words, and fatal.

Common Blood Test Abbreviations

  • ALT: alanine aminotransferase, a liver function test 3
  • ALP: alkaline phosphatase, a liver function test 3
  • GGT: gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, a liver function test 3
  • Bilirubin: a liver function test 3
  • Albumin: a liver function test 3
  • FBC: full blood count, which includes white blood cell and red blood cell counts and haemoglobin 3

Association with Renal Outcomes

  • Low serum albumin, haemoglobin, and bilirubin are associated with annual decline in eGFR and renal outcomes 3
  • GGT and ALP are directly associated with renal outcomes 3

References

1
Guideline

Guideline Directed Topic Overview

Dr.Oracle Medical Advisory Board & Editors, 2025

2
Research

Pathology abbreviated: a long review of short terms.

Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine, 2004

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Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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