Most blood test abbreviations are either the name of a panel (FBC or CBC, U&E, LFT, lipids) or the short code a lab analyser prints for one measurement (HGB, MCV, PLT, ALT). The list below covers the ones you are most likely to see on an NHS or US report, with what each one measures in plain words.
Updated: 2026-10-26
Panel names: FBC, CBC, U&E, LFT, BMP, CMP
Doctors usually order groups of tests rather than single ones, and the group name often appears as a heading on your report. UK and US names differ for the same thing.
FBC (UK, full blood count) = CBC (US, complete blood count): red cells, white cells and platelets. "CBC with diff" adds the breakdown of white cell types.
U&E (urea and electrolytes, UK): sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine and usually eGFR. The US equivalent is the BMP (basic metabolic panel), which also includes glucose, calcium and bicarbonate.
LFT (liver function tests, UK) or hepatic panel (US): ALT, ALP, bilirubin, albumin, sometimes AST and GGT. The US CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel) combines a BMP with liver tests.
TFT: thyroid function tests (TSH, sometimes free T4 and free T3).
Lipids or lipid profile: total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, sometimes non-HDL cholesterol.
Full blood count abbreviations: HGB, MCV, MCHC, RDW, PLT
WBC: white blood cell count, the infection-fighting cells.
RBC: red blood cell count.
HGB / Hb: haemoglobin (hemoglobin), the oxygen-carrying protein. UK reports use g/L, US reports g/dL.
HCT (US) or PCV, packed cell volume (UK): the share of blood volume taken up by red cells.
MCV: mean cell volume, the average size of your red cells. Low suggests small cells (often iron-related), high suggests large cells (B12, folate, alcohol, thyroid and other causes).
MCH and MCHC: how much haemoglobin each red cell carries, and how concentrated it is.
RDW: red cell distribution width, how much your red cells vary in size.
PLT: platelets, the cells that help blood clot. MPV is their average size.
NEUT, LYMPH, MONO, EOS, BASO: the five types of white cells, given as % and as an absolute count (#).
Chemistry abbreviations: kidneys, liver and more
Na, K, Cl: sodium, potassium, chloride. HCO3 or CO2: bicarbonate.
BUN (US, blood urea nitrogen) or urea (UK), and Cr / Creat: creatinine. Both reflect kidney function.
eGFR: estimated glomerular filtration rate, calculated from creatinine, age and sex; it shows how well the kidneys filter.
ALT (SGPT) and AST (SGOT): liver enzymes. ALP: alkaline phosphatase (liver and bone). GGT (gamma-GT): another liver enzyme.
Bili: bilirubin, total and sometimes direct (conjugated).
Alb: albumin, the main blood protein.
CRP: C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker. ESR (sed rate in the US): another, slower one.
HbA1c (A1C in the US): average blood sugar over about three months.
TSH, FT4, FT3: thyroid tests.
B12, folate, ferritin, 25-OH vit D: vitamins and iron stores.
Small print on the report: units and sample codes
Next to the abbreviations you will see units such as ×10⁹/L (cells per litre, the UK style) or K/µL and 10³/µL (the US style, which gives the same number). IU/L or U/L are enzyme units. Some reports add the sample type: EDTA (purple tube, for blood counts), SST or serum (gold tube, for chemistry) or fluoride oxalate (grey tube, for glucose). These codes describe the tube, not a result.
Comments such as "haemolysed", "lipaemic" or "sample delayed" mean the sample itself may have affected a result; potassium is the one most often distorted, and a repeat is usually arranged.
When to see a doctor about your results
Knowing what an abbreviation stands for is the first step; what it means for you depends on the value, the range and the rest of the report. Contact your GP or doctor promptly, or use NHS 111, urgent care or the emergency room, if the lab has called you about a result, if a report is marked "critical", or if an abnormal result comes with symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness, fever, fainting, yellowing of the skin or unexplained bleeding.
Sources
Written using public information from:
NHS (National Health Service, UK): Blood tests
Lab Tests Online UK (Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine)
MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine): Complete blood count, Comprehensive metabolic panel
Royal College of Pathologists (UK)
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Full blood count. It is the UK name for the test the US calls a complete blood count (CBC): red cells, haemoglobin, white cells and platelets, with the red cell indices MCV, MCH and MCHC.
What does U&E mean on a blood test?
Urea and electrolytes: sodium, potassium, urea and creatinine, usually with eGFR. It is the standard UK kidney panel. In the US the closest match is the basic metabolic panel (BMP).
What do MCV and MCHC mean?
MCV is the average size of your red blood cells and MCHC is how concentrated the haemoglobin inside them is. They help a doctor work out the likely type of anaemia when haemoglobin is low.
What is PLT on a blood test?
PLT means platelets, the small cells that help blood clot. A typical adult range is about 150 to 400 ×10⁹/L, which a US report writes as 150 to 400 K/µL.
Are blood test abbreviations the same in the UK and the US?
Mostly, but not entirely: FBC vs CBC, U&E vs BMP, urea vs BUN, PCV vs HCT, and the units differ (mmol/L vs mg/dL, g/L vs g/dL). The measurement behind them is the same.
This material is for general information only. It is not a medical opinion and does not replace a consultation with a doctor. Reference ranges depend on the laboratory and the method — rely on the range printed on your own report. Your doctor makes the final interpretation.
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