The PV medical abbreviation most often means per vagina, which describes something given through or coming from the vagina, such as PV bleeding or a PV tablet. It can also stand for portal vein, pulmonary vein or polycythemia vera, so the setting of the note decides which reading the author intended.
An obstetric triage note, a liver ultrasound report, a heart rhythm procedure note and a blood disorder clinic letter can all use the same two letters. This page sorts the meanings by the places they most often turn up, decodes sample lines and flags similar letter groups that confuse readers. For other procedure shorthand, the surgery and procedures hub groups related terms.
At a glance
Stands for
Per vagina (most common in women's health notes)Other meanings
Portal vein, pulmonary vein, polycythemia vera, plasma volumeLatin origin
Per vaginam, through the vaginaWritten as
PV, P.V., p.v.Safer to write
Vaginally, or the full name of the vein or diseaseDo not confuse with
PR (per rectum), PVD, PVT, PVIWhere you see it
Obstetric notes, pharmacy labels, imaging reports, cardiology and hematology notes
The main meanings of the PV medical abbreviation
PV has no single fixed expansion. The most widely used ones are listed below, roughly in order of how often they turn up in everyday charting.
| Expansion | What it refers to | Typical setting |
|---|---|---|
| Per vagina | A route for medicine, or the source of bleeding or discharge | Obstetrics, gynecology, emergency, pharmacy |
| Portal vein | The large vein carrying blood from the gut and spleen to the liver | Liver clinics, ultrasound and CT reports, transplant |
| Pulmonary vein | The veins bringing oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left atrium | Cardiology, heart rhythm procedures |
| Polycythemia vera | A slow bone marrow disorder that makes too many red blood cells | Hematology and oncology |
| Plasma volume | The liquid part of the blood, measured or estimated | Research, physiology, some lab reports |
A reader rarely has to guess. Nearby words, the clinic involved and the kind of report nearly always narrow it to one answer.
PV as a route: the pharmacy abbreviation
When PV shows up as a pharmacy abbreviation, it means the medicine is placed in the vagina rather than swallowed. Vaginal tablets, creams, gels, rings and suppositories can all carry this route. In a medication order, PV sits where PO or IV would normally sit.
Order line: "Clotrimazole 100 mg vaginal tablet, 1 tab PV at bedtime x 7 nights." Here PV is the route, so the tablet goes into the vagina, not into the mouth. The drug and dose illustrate layout and are not a recommendation.
Patients rarely see PV on the bottle itself, because pharmacists translate it into plain words such as insert vaginally. Many hospitals prefer that plain wording in orders too, so there is no doubt about how the product is used. Compare it with PO, which means by mouth, and SL, which means under the tongue.
PV in pregnancy and gynecology notes
In maternity and gynecology charts, PV usually describes something seen or felt through the vagina. Common phrases include PV bleeding, PV loss, PV discharge and PV exam. A triage nurse might write "small PV bleed" for light vaginal spotting, while a midwife may record findings from a vaginal exam during labor.
These notes also borrow other shorthand. SROM marks waters breaking on their own, LMP marks when the most recent period began, and SVE is a sterile vaginal exam. In some countries, PV exam is the everyday term, while US notes more often say pelvic or SVE.
Portal vein and pulmonary vein in procedure notes
Surgeons, radiologists and heart rhythm specialists use PV for two very different veins. On a liver ultrasound, "PV patent with hepatopetal flow" means the portal vein is open and blood is flowing toward the liver, as it should. PVT in the same report would mean portal vein thrombosis, a clot in that vein. The portal vein is also the target in a TIPS procedure, which lowers pressure in it.
In heart care, PV almost always means pulmonary vein. Pulmonary vein isolation, written PVI, is a catheter ablation that scars tissue around the openings of these veins to block stray signals that drive atrial fibrillation. A note reading "all four PVs isolated" refers to that step.
PV in blood disorder clinics
In hematology, PV stands for polycythemia vera. Vera is Latin for true, and the name separates it from other causes of a high red cell count, such as smoking or living at high altitude. It belongs to a group of slow-growing marrow conditions called myeloproliferative neoplasms.
A clinic note might read "PV, JAK2 positive, on phlebotomy and low-dose aspirin." That tells another clinician the diagnosis, a gene result linked to it and the treatment plan. Blood counts such as hematocrit, shown on a CBC, are followed closely over time.
Look-alike abbreviations and how to tell them apart
Several close cousins share the same first letters, and a quick glance can mix them up.
- PR means per rectum, another route. A slip between PR and PV changes where a suppository goes.
- PVT is portal vein thrombosis in liver notes.
- PVI is pulmonary vein isolation in rhythm notes.
- PVD is peripheral vascular disease.
- PVC is a premature ventricular contraction, an extra heartbeat.
When a document leaves the meaning unclear, the person who wrote it, or the pharmacist filling an order, can say which expansion applies. Many teams now spell out vaginal routes in full to avoid this doubt.
These are general definitions only. Your nurse, doctor or pharmacist can explain what PV means in your own chart or on your own medicine.
Frequently asked questions
What does PV mean on a prescription?
On a prescription or medication order, PV means per vagina, so the product is inserted into the vagina. Pharmacy labels usually print this in plain words, such as insert vaginally, rather than the letters.
What is PV bleeding?
PV bleeding means bleeding from the vagina. The phrase is common in pregnancy and emergency notes, where it may be graded as spotting, light or heavy. It describes a symptom, not a cause.
Is PV the same as PR?
No. PV refers to the vagina, while PR means per rectum. Both are routes for medicines such as suppositories, so they should never be swapped.
What does PV mean on a liver ultrasound?
On liver imaging, PV almost always means portal vein. Reports describe whether it is open, how blood flows in it, and whether any clot is present.
Is polycythemia vera abbreviated PV?
Yes. Hematology notes regularly use PV for polycythemia vera, a marrow condition that raises the red blood cell count. Blood counts and treatment details elsewhere in the note confirm which PV is meant.