The CC medical abbreviation most often means chief complaint, the main reason a person gives for seeking care, written at the top of a visit note. In pharmacy and dosing, lower case cc means cubic centimeter, a volume equal to one milliliter, and medical coders use CC for a complication or comorbidity.
So the CC medical abbreviation meaning depends on where it sits. The chief complaint meaning is the one patients see most in visit summaries and portal notes. The cubic centimeter meaning is the one with a safety warning attached, because a handwritten cc can be misread. This page covers both, plus the coding meaning, with sample lines and the safer way to write volumes.
At a glance
Most common meaning
Chief complaint, the main reason for the visitPharmacy meaning
Cubic centimeter (cc), equal to 1 mLCoding meaning
CC, complication or comorbidity; MCC is a major oneSafer to write
mL instead of cc for any volumeWhere you see it
Visit notes, emergency records, older orders and syringesRelated terms
HPI, ROS, PMH, H&P
Chief complaint: the opening line of a note
Think of the chief complaint as a one line answer to what brought someone in, ideally close to their own words, such as "my stomach hurts" or "cough for a week." It sits at the top of a history and physical (H&P) or an emergency note, before the history of present illness (HPI) expands on it.
It is meant to be brief. Details about timing, severity and what eases or worsens it go in the HPI, and a diagnosis does not belong in the chief complaint, because the cause is not known yet when it is written.
Emergency triage line: "CC: headache since this morning, worst of life." The patient's own description is recorded first so every later reader knows what brought them in.
Where the chief complaint fits in a visit note
Most notes follow a predictable order, and the CC is the anchor for the rest.
| Section | What it holds |
|---|---|
| CC | Why the person came, briefly |
| HPI | How the present problem began and developed |
| PMH | Past medical history |
| ROS | Review of systems, a head to toe symptom screen |
| Exam and plan | Findings, likely causes and what happens next |
In a SOAP note, the chief complaint opens the subjective part.
cc as cubic centimeters and why mL is safer
One cubic centimeter equals one milliliter, so 5 cc and 5 mL are the same amount. The problem is legibility. ISMP lists cc on its error-prone abbreviations list because a handwritten cc can be mistaken for a U, the old shorthand for units, which can lead to a badly wrong dose. The safer form is mL, and most hospitals, pharmacies and syringe markings now use it.
| Written | Meaning | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| cc | Cubic centimeter | Misread as U for units when handwritten |
| mL | Milliliter | Preferred, same volume as cc |
| U | Units | Itself on the do-not-use list; write units |
You will still hear people say cc out loud, for example in surgery or when describing fluid output, but written orders and labels should use mL.
CC in medical coding and billing
Coders and clinical documentation teams use CC for a complication or comorbidity, a secondary condition that makes a hospital stay more complex. A more serious one is an MCC, a major complication or comorbidity. These labels affect how a stay is grouped under a diagnosis related group (DRG). Patients rarely see this meaning except on detailed billing or coding documents.
Other uses of the letters
A few more uses turn up now and then. In letters and consult reports, cc can mean a copy was sent to someone, such as "cc: primary care provider." In older prescriptions, c.c. was sometimes written for the Latin cum cibo, with food, though most prescribers now write with food in full. If the line is about a visit reason, read chief complaint; if it is about a volume, read cubic centimeters and think mL.
Tips for students using the CC medical abbreviation
Quote the patient when you can, keep the chief complaint to one line, and leave the diagnosis for the assessment. Never write cc for a volume on an order or a medication record. Pharmacy technician students should expect cc to mL conversions on exams, since one equals the other. The nursing abbreviation hub lists more chart note terms.
This page explains common chart and pharmacy wording only. For questions about a dose or a volume on your own label, your pharmacist can read it with you.
Frequently asked questions
What does CC mean in a medical note?
In a visit or emergency note, CC means chief complaint, the main reason the person sought care. It is usually written in a few words near the top.
What does cc mean on a prescription or syringe?
It means cubic centimeter, which equals one milliliter. Because cc can be misread when handwritten, safety groups advise writing mL instead.
Is 1 cc the same as 1 mL?
Yes. One cubic centimeter and one milliliter are the same volume, so 10 cc equals 10 mL.
What is the medical abbreviation for chief complaint?
The usual abbreviation is CC. Some notes write C/C, and many electronic records label the field Chief Complaint or Reason for Visit.
What does CC mean in medical coding?
It stands for complication or comorbidity, a secondary condition that adds complexity to a hospital stay. MCC means a major complication or comorbidity.