OET case notes are packed with clinical abbreviations that you need to decode instantly during your Writing sub-test. In Speaking, you need to translate these terms into patient-friendly language. This guide covers the most common medical terminology and abbreviations that appear in OET Medicine, organised by clinical context.
Patient Presentation Abbreviations
- c/o — complaining of ('Pt c/o chest pain' → 'The patient presented with chest pain')
- Hx — history ('PMHx: HTN, DM' → 'Past medical history includes hypertension and diabetes')
- Dx — diagnosis
- Rx — treatment / prescription
- Sx — symptoms
- Ix — investigations
- Mx — management
- O/E — on examination
- NAD — no abnormality detected
- SOB — shortness of breath
- NOF — neck of femur (fracture)
Vital Signs and Measurements
- BP — blood pressure
- HR — heart rate
- RR — respiratory rate
- SpO2 — oxygen saturation
- Temp — temperature
- BMI — body mass index
- GCS — Glasgow Coma Scale
- BGL — blood glucose level
Common Clinical Abbreviations
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- HTN — hypertension
- DM — diabetes mellitus (Type 1 / Type 2)
- MI — myocardial infarction
- CVA — cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
- COPD — chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- UTI — urinary tract infection
- DVT — deep vein thrombosis
- PE — pulmonary embolism
- CKD — chronic kidney disease
- AKI — acute kidney injury
- CCF — congestive cardiac failure
- AF — atrial fibrillation
Medication and Treatment Abbreviations
- PO — per oral (by mouth)
- IV — intravenous
- IM — intramuscular
- SC / subcut — subcutaneous
- PRN — as needed
- BD — twice daily
- TDS — three times daily
- QID — four times daily
- OD — once daily
- stat — immediately
- NKA / NKDA — no known allergies / no known drug allergies
Time and Duration
- /7 — days ('x 3/7' = for 3 days)
- /52 — weeks ('x 2/52' = for 2 weeks)
- /12 — months ('x 6/12' = for 6 months)
- x — for (duration)
- # — fracture
How to Use This in OET Writing
Case notes use abbreviations; your letter must not. Transform every abbreviation into professional prose:
Case note: 'Pt c/o SOB on exertion x 3/7. PMHx: HTN, DM Type 2. O/E: BP 160/95, HR 88, SpO2 94% RA. Ix: CXR — bilateral infiltrates. Dx: CAP. Rx: IV amoxicillin-clavulanate.'
Letter: 'The patient presented with a three-day history of shortness of breath on exertion. His past medical history includes hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. On examination, blood pressure was 160/95 mmHg, heart rate 88 beats per minute, and oxygen saturation 94% on room air. A chest X-ray revealed bilateral infiltrates, consistent with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia. He was commenced on intravenous amoxicillin-clavulanate.'
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This transformation — from telegraphic case note to professional letter — is the core skill OET Writing tests. Practise it daily with sample case notes.
How to Use This in OET Speaking
When speaking to a patient, go one step further and translate clinical terms into plain language:
- 'Community-acquired pneumonia' → 'You have a lung infection called pneumonia'
- 'Intravenous antibiotics' → 'We are giving you antibiotics through a drip in your arm'
- 'Bilateral infiltrates on CXR' → 'The chest X-ray shows some infection in both of your lungs'
Master both directions: abbreviation to clinical prose (for Writing) and clinical term to patient language (for Speaking). This dual fluency is what OET is designed to test.