The PMH medical abbreviation means past medical history. Under that heading, a note lists the illnesses and long term conditions a person has had before today's visit. It also appears as PMHx or PMHX, with the same meaning.
PMH is usually a short list of diagnoses, often written in their own shorthand, for instance HTN (high blood pressure) or DM2 (type 2 diabetes). It turns up in visit summaries and portal notes for patients, and students meet it in nearly every admission note. Below is what belongs in it, how it differs from the history items around it, and how to read a dense line one piece at a time.
At a glance
Stands for
Past medical historyWritten as
PMH, PMHx, PMHX, pmhxWhere you see it
Admission notes, H&P, clinic notes, ED notes, referral lettersSits next to
PSH (surgical), FH (family), SH (social), meds, allergiesOther meanings
In PMHNP, the letters PMH mean psychiatric mental healthDo not confuse with
HPI, which tells the story of the current problem
What the PMH medical abbreviation covers
Past medical history gathers the conditions a clinician needs to know before deciding what is going on now. It includes long term illnesses such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, serious past illnesses such as a stroke or cancer, and sometimes pregnancies and hospital stays. Surgeries often get their own list, though some clinics fold them into the PMH.
The word past can mislead. A condition that started years ago and is still being treated, such as high blood pressure, belongs in the PMH. The list describes the person's medical background, whether those problems are finished or ongoing. When a patient has no notable history, the note may say "PMH: none" or "no significant PMH."
Past medical history abbreviation and its neighbors
The PMH is one block in a longer history. Each block answers a different question, and knowing them helps you find what you need fast.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | What it answers |
|---|---|---|
| HPI | History of present illness | What brought you in today? |
| PMH | Past medical history | What conditions have you had? |
| PSH | Past surgical history | What operations have you had? |
| FH | Family history | What runs in your family? |
| SH | Social history | Tobacco, alcohol, job, home life |
| ROS | Review of systems | Any symptoms in other body systems? |
All of these appear in a full H&P. The general abbreviation for medical history alone is Hx, so PMHx simply adds past and medical to it.
Decoding a typical PMH line
PMH entries are packed with their own shorthand. A line that looks like code becomes clear once each item is spelled out.
Admission note: "PMH: HTN, DM2, CAD s/p PCI, HLD, CKD stage 3." Spelled out, the line says this person has high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease treated in the past with a stent procedure, high cholesterol, and moderate chronic kidney disease.
Each of those terms is covered on its own page: HTN, DM2, CAD and s/p, which means status post, or after a procedure.
A cardiac PMH and why order matters
People often search for a cardiac PMH because heart conditions crowd the history of many older adults. A cardiology note might list prior heart attack (MI), heart failure (CHF), atrial fibrillation, valve disease and any stents, bypass surgery or pacemakers. The PMH meaning does not change in cardiology. It is still past medical history, just focused on the heart.
Writers often put the most relevant conditions first. In a chest pain visit, prior heart disease tends to lead the list, while a lung visit might open with COPD or asthma. Reading from the top usually tells you what the clinician thought mattered most for that visit.
Why your PMH matters to your care
A good past medical history shapes almost every choice in a visit. It affects which tests are ordered, which medicines are safe, how risky a procedure might be, and what a new symptom probably means. For example, chest pain in someone with prior heart disease is approached differently than in a healthy young adult.
That is why staff ask about history again and again, even when it is already in the chart. Records from other places may be missing, and conditions change. Keeping your own short list of diagnoses, surgeries, medicines and allergies makes these talks quicker and more accurate.
This page describes how a chart term is used. If something in your own PMH looks wrong or out of date, raise it with your care team so they can correct the record.
PMH nursing abbreviation tips for students
Students in nursing and scribe programs record the PMH during intake and admission. A clean list uses accepted abbreviations, groups related items, and adds a key detail when it changes care, such as "DM2 on insulin" or "asthma, last hospitalized as a child." Writing "denies" before a condition, as in "denies HTN," records that it was asked about.
The medical term for PMH is simply past medical history. For more history and assessment shorthand, the nursing abbreviations guide groups the terms you will chart most often.
Frequently asked questions
What does PMH mean in a medical note?
PMH means past medical history. It is the list of illnesses and long term conditions a patient has had, written so the care team can see the person's background at a glance.
Is PMH the same as PMHx?
Yes. PMH, PMHx and PMHX all mean past medical history. The x is a common shorthand ending for history, as in Hx and FHx.
What is the difference between PMH and HPI?
HPI, the history of present illness, describes today's main complaint in detail. PMH lists conditions from before this visit, including ones still being treated.
Does PMH include surgeries?
Often surgeries go in a separate section called PSH, past surgical history. Some notes combine the two under PMH, so it depends on the writer and the template.
What is the abbreviation for medical history in general?
Hx is the general abbreviation for history. PMH or PMHx narrows it to past medical history, while FHx means family history and SHx means social history.