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Glossary of Abbreviations

Quick reference for common abbreviations used in pediatric cardiology.


Anatomical & Structural

Abbreviation Full Term
ASD Atrial Septal Defect
VSD Ventricular Septal Defect
PDA Patent Ductus Arteriosus
AVSD Atrioventricular Septal Defect
TOF Tetralogy of Fallot
TGA Transposition of Great Arteries
HLHS Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
TAPVR Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
AAOCA Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery
ALCAPA Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from Pulmonary Artery
BAV Bicuspid Aortic Valve
CoA Coarctation of the Aorta
IAA Interrupted Aortic Arch
PA Pulmonary Artery (or Pulmonary Atresia, context-dependent)
RA/LA Right Atrium/Left Atrium
RV/LV Right Ventricle/Left Ventricle
RVOT Right Ventricular Outflow Tract
LVOT Left Ventricular Outflow Tract

Hemodynamic & Physiologic

Abbreviation Full Term
Qp:Qs Pulmonary to Systemic Flow Ratio
PVR Pulmonary Vascular Resistance
SVR Systemic Vascular Resistance
CVP Central Venous Pressure
PAP Pulmonary Artery Pressure
PCWP Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure
CO Cardiac Output
CI Cardiac Index
EF Ejection Fraction
SF Shortening Fraction
TAPSE Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion

Arrhythmias & Electrophysiology

Abbreviation Full Term
SVT Supraventricular Tachycardia
VT Ventricular Tachycardia
VF Ventricular Fibrillation
WPW Wolff-Parkinson-White
AVNRT AV Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia
AVRT AV Reentrant Tachycardia
LQTS Long QT Syndrome
SQTS Short QT Syndrome
CPVT Catecholaminergic Polymorphic VT
BrS Brugada Syndrome
ARVC Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
ICD Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator
PPM Permanent Pacemaker
AV Atrioventricular
CHB Complete Heart Block
RBBB Right Bundle Branch Block
LBBB Left Bundle Branch Block
PAC Premature Atrial Contraction
PVC Premature Ventricular Contraction

Diseases & Syndromes

Abbreviation Full Term
CHD Congenital Heart Disease
ACHD Adult Congenital Heart Disease
HCM Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
DCM Dilated Cardiomyopathy
RCM Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
KD Kawasaki Disease
ARF Acute Rheumatic Fever
RHD Rheumatic Heart Disease
IE Infective Endocarditis
MIS-C Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
PH Pulmonary Hypertension
PAH Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
CHF Congestive Heart Failure
DMD Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
BMD Becker Muscular Dystrophy

Diagnostics & Imaging

Abbreviation Full Term
TTE Transthoracic Echocardiography
TEE Transesophageal Echocardiography
CMR Cardiac Magnetic Resonance
CTA Computed Tomography Angiography
CXR Chest X-Ray
ECG/EKG Electrocardiogram
LGE Late Gadolinium Enhancement
PHN Pediatric Heart Network (Z-score equations)
ASI Aortic Size Index

Measurements & Scores

Abbreviation Full Term
Z-score Standard deviations from mean for body size
BSA Body Surface Area
BMI Body Mass Index
QTc Corrected QT Interval
HR Heart Rate
BP Blood Pressure
SBP/DBP Systolic/Diastolic Blood Pressure
SpO2 Oxygen Saturation by Pulse Oximetry
PaO2 Arterial Partial Pressure of Oxygen

Procedures & Interventions

Abbreviation Full Term
BAS Balloon Atrial Septostomy
ASO Arterial Switch Operation
BT shunt Blalock-Taussig Shunt
BDG Bidirectional Glenn
TCPC Total Cavopulmonary Connection (Fontan)
PTCA Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty
TAVR Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
VAD Ventricular Assist Device
ECMO Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
CPB Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Medications

Abbreviation Full Term
PGE1 Prostaglandin E1 (Alprostadil)
IVIG Intravenous Immunoglobulin
ASA Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid)
ACEi ACE Inhibitor
ARB Angiotensin Receptor Blocker
BB Beta-Blocker
CCB Calcium Channel Blocker
NOAC Non-vitamin K Oral Anticoagulant
INR International Normalized Ratio

Organizations & Guidelines

Abbreviation Full Term
AHA American Heart Association
ACC American College of Cardiology
AAP American Academy of Pediatrics
ASE American Society of Echocardiography
HRS Heart Rhythm Society
PACES Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society
ISHLT International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
ESC European Society of Cardiology
NHLBI National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Fontan-Specific

Abbreviation Full Term
PLE Protein-Losing Enteropathy
FALD Fontan-Associated Liver Disease
PFO Patent Foramen Ovale
SVC/IVC Superior/Inferior Vena Cava
HFpEF Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Screening & Prevention

Abbreviation Full Term
CCHD Critical Congenital Heart Disease (screening)
PPE Pre-Participation Examination
SCD Sudden Cardiac Death
FH Familial Hypercholesterolemia
TC Total Cholesterol
LDL-C Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol
HDL-C High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol
TG Triglycerides

Other Common Terms

Abbreviation Full Term
CAA Coronary Artery Aneurysm
CTR Cardiothoracic Ratio
FTT Failure to Thrive
LUSB/RUSB Left/Right Upper Sternal Border
LLSB Left Lower Sternal Border
TR/MR/AR/PR Tricuspid/Mitral/Aortic/Pulmonary Regurgitation
AS/PS/MS/TS Aortic/Pulmonary/Mitral/Tricuspid Stenosis

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