Blood Test Acronyms Decoded
Every abbreviation you will see on an Australian pathology report - FBC, LFT, TFT, UEC and 50+ more, all in plain English.
The Three You Will See on Almost Every Report
FBC
Full Blood Count
The cell count snapshot - red cells, white cells, platelets and their sub-types. Screens for anaemia, infection and clotting issues.
UEC
Urea, Electrolytes, Creatinine
Kidney function and electrolyte balance. Sodium, potassium, urea, creatinine, eGFR - the daily-life chemistry.
LFT
Liver Function Tests
ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, bilirubin, albumin and total protein. Spot liver inflammation, bile flow problems, and synthetic function.
The A-Z of Blood Test Acronyms
| Acronym | Full name | What it measures | Panel |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBC | Full Blood Count | Counts red cells, white cells and platelets plus their sub-types | Standard |
| CBC | Complete Blood Count | Same as FBC; US terminology | Standard |
| UEC | Urea, Electrolytes, Creatinine | Kidney function and electrolyte balance | Standard |
| EUC | Electrolytes, Urea, Creatinine | Same as UEC, just letter order varies | Standard |
| CMP | Comprehensive Metabolic Panel | US name for an extended UEC including liver enzymes | Standard |
| LFT | Liver Function Tests | ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, bilirubin, albumin, protein | Standard |
| LFP | Liver Function Panel | Alternative name for LFT | Standard |
| TFT | Thyroid Function Tests | TSH plus Free T4 (and Free T3 if requested) | Standard |
| HbA1c | Haemoglobin A1c (glycated) | 3-month average blood sugar | Diabetes |
| eGFR | Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate | Kidney filtration rate calculated from creatinine | Kidney |
| CRP | C-Reactive Protein | Acute inflammation marker | Inflammation |
| hs-CRP | High-sensitivity CRP | Low-level inflammation, cardiovascular risk | Inflammation |
| ESR | Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate | Slower inflammation marker | Inflammation |
| ALT | Alanine Aminotransferase | Liver cell damage | Liver |
| AST | Aspartate Aminotransferase | Liver and muscle cell damage | Liver |
| GGT | Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase | Bile duct and alcohol marker | Liver |
| ALP | Alkaline Phosphatase | Bile duct and bone marker | Liver / Bone |
| TSH | Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone | Pituitary signal to the thyroid - first-line thyroid test | Thyroid |
| FT4 | Free Thyroxine | Free, active thyroid hormone T4 | Thyroid |
| FT3 | Free Triiodothyronine | Free, active thyroid hormone T3 | Thyroid |
| PSA | Prostate Specific Antigen | Prostate cancer and BPH screening | Prostate |
| INR | International Normalised Ratio | Warfarin dose monitoring | Coagulation |
| PT | Prothrombin Time | Extrinsic clotting pathway | Coagulation |
| APTT | Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time | Intrinsic clotting pathway | Coagulation |
| BNP | B-type Natriuretic Peptide | Heart failure marker | Cardiac |
| NT-proBNP | N-terminal pro-BNP | More stable heart failure marker | Cardiac |
| hs-cTn | High-sensitivity Cardiac Troponin | Heart muscle damage | Cardiac |
| CK | Creatine Kinase | Muscle damage | Muscle / Cardiac |
| LDH | Lactate Dehydrogenase | Cell breakdown - haemolysis, tumour, infarct | General |
| Hb / Hgb | Haemoglobin | Oxygen-carrying protein in red cells | FBC |
| Hct / PCV | Haematocrit / Packed Cell Volume | Percentage of blood that is red cells | FBC |
| MCV | Mean Corpuscular Volume | Average size of red cells | FBC |
| MCH | Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin | Average haemoglobin per red cell | FBC |
| MCHC | Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration | Average haemoglobin concentration | FBC |
| RDW | Red cell Distribution Width | Variation in red cell size | FBC |
| WBC | White Blood Cell count | Total white cells | FBC |
| RBC | Red Blood Cell count | Total red cells | FBC |
| PLT | Platelets | Clotting cells | FBC |
| MPV | Mean Platelet Volume | Average platelet size | FBC |
| TIBC | Total Iron-Binding Capacity | Transferrin capacity to carry iron | Iron |
| TSAT | Transferrin Saturation | Percentage of transferrin carrying iron | Iron |
| 25-OH-D | 25-Hydroxyvitamin D | Vitamin D storage form | Vitamins |
| IgG / IgA / IgM / IgE | Immunoglobulin G / A / M / E | Antibody classes | Immunology |
| tTG | Tissue Transglutaminase | Coeliac disease antibody | Coeliac |
| ANA | Antinuclear Antibody | Autoimmune screen (lupus, etc.) | Autoimmune |
| ANCA | Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody | Vasculitis screen | Autoimmune |
| RF | Rheumatoid Factor | Rheumatoid arthritis screen | Autoimmune |
| CCP | Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide antibody | More specific RA marker | Autoimmune |
| HDL | High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol | “Good” cholesterol | Lipids |
| LDL | Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol | “Bad” cholesterol | Lipids |
| TG | Triglycerides | Blood fats from food and liver | Lipids |
| ACR | Albumin:Creatinine Ratio | Urine test for kidney protein leak | Kidney |
| AFP | Alpha-Fetoprotein | Liver cancer / pregnancy marker | Tumour |
| CEA | Carcinoembryonic Antigen | Bowel cancer monitoring | Tumour |
| CA-125 | Cancer Antigen 125 | Ovarian cancer monitoring | Tumour |
Easily Confused Pairs
Some abbreviations look similar but tell you completely different things. These are the ones people most often mix up.
ALT vs AST
ALT is more specific to the liver. AST is also in muscle and red cells. If AST is much higher than ALT, look at alcohol or muscle injury rather than liver disease alone.
HDL vs LDL
HDL is “good” cholesterol - takes cholesterol AWAY from arteries. LDL is “bad” - deposits it into arteries. Aim high HDL, low LDL.
FT3 vs FT4
FT4 is the longer-acting precursor your thyroid makes. FT3 is the active form converted from T4. Hypothyroidism with normal FT4 but low FT3 suggests a conversion problem.
ESR vs CRP
CRP rises in hours and falls in days. ESR rises in days and falls in weeks. Both measure inflammation but on different timescales. Used together to track flares.
PT vs APTT
PT (with INR) tests the extrinsic pathway - warfarin works here. APTT tests the intrinsic pathway - heparin works here. Different drugs, different monitoring tests.
B12 vs Active B12 (holoTC)
Total B12 includes inactive forms. Active B12 (holotranscobalamin) is the form your cells can actually use. Active B12 is a better marker of true deficiency.
Common Panel Combinations Decoded
When your GP writes a request for “FBC, UEC, LFTs, TFTs, lipids, HbA1c, iron studies, B12, vitamin D, CRP” - that is a comprehensive annual health check. You will see this exact combination across most adult Australian blood draws over 40.
“FBC + CRP” alone usually means screening for infection or inflammation. “UEC + LFTs” together monitors statin or other drug safety. “TFTs + iron studies” is the standard fatigue workup.
Knowing the shorthand makes your GP appointments much faster - you can ask for the right panel by name rather than describing each test.
Stop Looking Up Every Acronym
Upload your blood test PDF - SmarterBlood reads every abbreviation, decodes it, and tells you what each number actually means for your health.