PCN
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Penicillin |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
PCN has two meanings. It stands for Penicillin (drug) or Percutaneous nephrostomy (nephrology & urology).
Meanings of PCN at a glance
| # | PCN stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penicillin | Medical › Drug |
| 2 | Percutaneous nephrostomy | Medical › Nephrology & Urology |
1. Penicillin
Medical · Drug Abbreviations
Abbreviation for penicillin, the first widely used antibiotic, and by extension the whole penicillin family. In charts it is most often seen in allergy lists ("PCN allergy") and in orders for penicillin G and penicillin V.
Example: Allergies: PCN (childhood rash, unknown drug); tolerated cefazolin 2022.
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, and mass production began during World War II. About 10 percent of US patients carry a penicillin allergy label, but testing shows that roughly 9 in 10 of them are not truly allergic; removing false labels allows safer, cheaper antibiotics. In urology PCN also means percutaneous nephrostomy.
2. Percutaneous nephrostomy
Medical · Nephrology & Urology Abbreviations
Tube placed through the skin of the flank directly into the kidney's collecting system, usually by interventional radiology under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance. It urgently drains an obstructed and infected kidney or diverts urine when ureteral stents fail.
Example: Obstructing 8 mm stone with fever and hydronephrosis; IR placed left PCN, cloudy urine sent for culture.
An obstructed infected kidney is a urologic emergency, and decompression by PCN or retrograde ureteral stent is equally effective in most cases. In prescriptions PCN means penicillin, an unrelated and far more common use of the same letters. The tube drains into an external bag and needs regular exchanges if long term.
Related abbreviations
More drug abbreviations
- OXC – Oxcarbazepine
- PB – Phenobarbital
- PCC – Prothrombin complex concentrate
- PCM – Paracetamol
- PCP – Phencyclidine
- PE – Phenytoin sodium equivalents
- PED – Performance-enhancing drug
- Pen VK – Penicillin V potassium
See all 170 drug abbreviations →
More nephrology & urology abbreviations
- MCD – Minimal change disease
- NS – Nephrotic syndrome
- OAB – Overactive bladder
- PCa – Prostate cancer
- PCNL – Percutaneous nephrolithotomy
- PD – Peritoneal dialysis
- PKD – Polycystic kidney disease
- PUL – Prostatic urethral lift
See all 71 nephrology & urology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.