Medical abbreviations and acronyms (R)

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

• R
  • reproductive number
  • right
  • roentgen (unit)
• RA
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • right atrium
  • right auricle
  • room air
• Ra: radium
• RAAS: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system 
• RACF: residential aged-care facility
• RAD
  • right axis deviation
  • radiation absorbed dose
• Rad: cgs unit of absorbed radiation dose
• RAI: radioactive Iodine
• RALP: robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy
• RAMC: Royal Army Medical Corps (UK)
• RANK: receptor activator of nuclear factor-Kappa B
• RANZCR: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists
• RAO: right anterior oblique
• RAPD: relative afferent pupillary defect
• RAPN: robot-assisted partial nephrectomy
• RAR: renal-to-aortic ratio
• RAS
  • renin-angiotensin system
  • renal artery stenosis
  • reticular activating system
• RAZ: right apical zone
• Rb: rubidium
• RBBB: right bundle branch block
• RBC: red blood cells
• RB-ILD: respiratory bronchiolitis-interstitial lung disease
• RC: rotator cuff
• RCA
  • right colic artery
  • right coronary artery
  • root cause analysis
  • rotator cuff arthropathy
• RCC
  • Rathke cleft cyst
  • red cell count
  • renal cell carcinoma
• RCCA: right common carotid artery
• RCH: remote cerebellar haemorrhage
• R-CHOP: rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin (hydroxydaunomycin), Oncovin^®oncovin (vincristine), prednisolone
• RCJ: radiocarpal joint
• RCL: radial collateral ligament complex of the elbow
• RCM: restrictive cardiomyopathy
• RCR: Royal College of Radiologists (UK)
• RCT
  • randomised control trial
  • rotator cuff tear
• RCVS: reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
• Rd: rutherford
• RdRp: RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene 
• RDS: respiratory distress syndrome
• RDW: red cell distribution width
• RE: right eye
• ReA: reactive arthritis
• REBOA: resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta
• RECIST: response evaluation criteria in solid tumours
• Re: rhenium
• Recons: reconstructions
• Reg: registrar
• Rem: roentgen equivalent man
• RES: reticuloendothelial system
• Resus: resuscitation
• RF
  • radiofrequency
  • rheumatoid factor
  • ring finger
  • risk factor
• RFA: radiofrequency ablation
• RFB: rectal foreign body
• RFT: right ventricular false tendon
• RFTs: respiratory function tests
• RGA: right gastric artery
• Rh
  • rhesus
  • rhodium
• RHA: right hepatic artery
• RHD
  • right hand dominant
  • right hepatic duct
• RHS: right hand side
• RHV: right hepatic vein
• RI
  • ramus intermedius
  • resistive index
  • retention index
• RIF: right iliac fossa
• RIG: radiologically inserted gastrostomy
• RIGS: radioimmuno-guided surgery
• RIH: right inguinal hernia
• RIHD: radiation-induced heart disease
• RIJ: right internal jugular
• RIJV: right internal jugular vein
• RIMA: right internal mammary artery
• RIRS: retrograde intrarenal surgery
• RIS
  • radiologically-isolated syndrome
  • radiology information system
• RITA: right internal thoracic artery
• RK: right kidney
• RLE: right lower extremity
• RLL
  • right lobe of liver
  • right lower limb
  • right lower lobe (of the lung)
• RLQ: right lower quadrant
• RLZ: right lower zone
• RMB: right main bronchus
• RML: right middle lobe
• RMO: resident medical officer
• RMS: 
  • Ramsay Hunt syndrome
  • rhabdomyosarcoma
  • root mean square
• RMT: retromolar trigone
• RMZ: right middle zone
• RN: registered nurse
• Rn: radon
• RNA: ribonucleic acid
• RNFL: retinal nerve fibre layer
• RO: right ovary
• R/O
  • removal of
  • rule out
• ROC: receiver operating characteristiccurve
• ROI: region of interest
• ROLL: radioguided occult lesion localisation 
• ROM: range of motion
• ROP: retinopathy of prematurity
• ROS: reactive oxygen species
• ROSC: return of spontaneous circulation
• RP
  • retinopathy of prematurity
  • retroperitoneal
  • retropharyngeal
• RPA: right pulmonary artery
• RPOC: retained products of conception
• RPL: recurrent pregnancy loss
• RPLND: retroperitoneal lymph node dissection
• RPLS: reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome
• RPP: radical perineal prostatectomy
• RR: respiratory rate
• RRA: right renal artery
• RRMS: relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis
• RRP: radical retropubic prostatectomy
• RRT: renal replacement therapy
• RS: respiratory system
• RSBI: rapid shallow breathing index
• RSCA: right subclavian artery
• RSI: repetitive strain injury
• RSM
  • recurrent spontaneous abortion
  • Royal Society of Medicine (UK)
• RSNA: Radiological Society of North America
• RSO: resident surgical officer
• RSW: right-sided weakness
• RSWP: radial-sided wrist pain
• RSX: radiosurgery
• RT
  • radiotherapy
  • right
• RTA
  • renal tubular acidosis
  • road traffic accident
• RTC: road traffic collision
• RTT: return to theatre
• RTI: respiratory tract infection
• RTX: radiotherapy
• Ru: ruthenium
• RUE: right upper extremity
• RUL
  • right upper limb
  • right upper lobe (of the lung)
• RUO: right ureteric orifice
• RUQ: right upper quadrant
• RUZ: right upper zone
• RUSH: rapid ultrasound in shock
• RV
  • residual volume
  • right ventricle
• RVA: right vertebral artery
• RVAD: right ventricular assist device
• RVCL-S: retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy and systemic manifestations
• RVD
  • retroviral disease (euphemism for HIV)
  • right ventricular dilatation
• RVF: right ventricular failure
• RVH: right ventricular hypertrophy
• RVOT: right ventricular outflow tract 
• RVR: rapid ventricular rate/response (in atrial fibrillation)
• RVSP: right ventricular systolic pressure
• RVT: renal vein thrombosis
• RWMA: regional wall motion abnormalities or regional wall motion abnormality
• Rx: prescription (originally, and strictly, ℞, shorthand for recipe, in Latin = take thou)