VS
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Vital signs |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical, Writing & Everyday, Transportation & Travel |
| Also written | vs. |
VS has three meanings. The most common are Vital signs (patient assessment) and Versus (against) (Latin); it can also stand for Virgin Atlantic.
Meanings of VS at a glance
| # | VS stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vital signs | Medical › Patient Assessment |
| 2 | Versus (against) | Writing & Everyday › Latin |
| 3 | Virgin Atlantic | Transportation & Travel › Airline Code |
1. Vital signs
Medical · Patient Assessment Abbreviations
Core physiological measurements checked to judge a patient's basic condition: temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and blood pressure, with oxygen saturation and pain score now usually added. Frequency is set by orders or policy, from every 15 minutes after surgery to once per shift on stable wards.
Example: VS q4h; notify provider for SBP under 90, HR over 120 or temp above 38.5 C.
Pain was promoted as "the fifth vital sign" by the American Pain Society in 1996, a campaign later criticized for encouraging opioid prescribing. Many hospitals feed VS into automated early warning scores. Abnormal values should trigger reassessment, not just documentation.
2. Versus (against) (vs.)
Writing & Everyday · Latin Abbreviations
Sets two opposing parties, teams, options or ideas against each other, as in sports matchups, debates and comparisons. In everyday writing it also marks a contrast between two choices being weighed, such as renting vs. buying.
Example: Saturday's semifinal is Boston College vs. Notre Dame, with kickoff at 3:30 p.m.
From Latin versus, "turned toward." American writers usually put a period after vs.; British English often writes vs or simply v. AP style spells out "versus" in ordinary text but accepts vs. in short expressions, and legal case names use v. (Brown v. Board of Education). When reading aloud, say "versus," not the letters.
3. Virgin Atlantic
Transportation & Travel · Airline Code Abbreviations
British long-haul airline founded by Richard Branson in 1984, based at London Heathrow and Manchester and known for its red livery and premium service. Delta owns a 49 percent stake.
Example: Our Virgin Atlantic flight, VS 153, boards through gate 9, and the Upper Class wing is open.
ICAO code VIR; callsign "Virgin." The first flight in June 1984 went from Gatwick to Newark. Virgin Atlantic joined the SkyTeam alliance in 2023, its first alliance membership. In 2023 it flew the first transatlantic flight by a commercial airliner using only sustainable aviation fuel.
Related abbreviations
More patient assessment abbreviations
- AP – Apical pulse
- AVPU – Alert, voice, pain, unresponsive
- Ax – Axillary
- BLE – Bilateral lower extremities
- BMI – Body mass index
- BP – Blood pressure
- BPS – Behavioral Pain Scale
- BS – Bowel sounds
See all 65 patient assessment abbreviations →
More Latin abbreviations
- a.m. – Ante meridiem (before midday)
- a.u.c. – Ab urbe condita (from the founding of the city)
- AD – Anno Domini (in the year of the Lord)
- ad inf. – Ad infinitum (to infinity)
- ad lib. – Ad libitum (at one's pleasure)
- aet. – Aetatis (aged, at the age of)
- c. – Circa (around, approximately)
- cet. par. – Ceteris paribus (other things being equal)
See all 53 Latin abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.