PMHx stands for which term?

• A. Past Surgical History
• B. Past Medical History
• C. Patient Medical History
• D. Prior To Arrival

Answer: (B)

PMHx stands for Past Medical History. The idea here is to recognize common abbreviations used in patient records to quickly convey what chronic medical issues the patient has had. Past Medical History specifically lists the patient’s long-standing medical diagnoses—conditions like hypertension, diabetes, asthma, prior heart disease, and other ongoing medical problems. It is different from surgical history, which would be noted as Past Surgical History for events like prior operations. So when you see PMHx, you should interpret it as the patient’s prior medical conditions, not surgeries or social factors. This helps clinicians quickly assess overall health burden and guide treatment decisions. If prior surgeries are relevant, that information would appear in the surgical history section, not the medical history.