In medical shorthand, Hx most commonly stands for which term?

• A. Past health history
• B. Patient satisfaction
• C. History
• D. Hypoxemia

Answer: (C)

Medical shorthand uses Hx to denote history—the patient’s medical history, including past illnesses, procedures, allergies, and medications. This is why the term history fits best: you’ll often see notes like “Hx: DM, HTN” meaning the patient has a history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. There are more specific abbreviations for particular histories, such as PMH for past medical history, SHx for social history, or FHx for family history, but Hx on its own generally means history. The other options describe different concepts—patient satisfaction or a physiological condition—so they aren’t what Hx represents.