What does the medical abbreviation NOS mean?

Answer 1

Most commonly, NOS means "not otherwise specified". In other words if you've been diagnosed as having anxiety order nos...it means that you don't have a specific anxiety disorder, just a more general one. Another example: If your knee hurts and you go to the ER, but they can't find the cause. They usually give you a low dose pain med and tell you to follow up with your family doctor for further testing. The discharge code will be something like Arthralgia NOS (joint pain not otherwise specified.)

NOS could also be Nitric Oxide Synthesis or Non Organ Specific.
NOS is "not otherwise specified." It's not really a medical term; instead, it has to do with choosing a diagnosis from the standard list of codes. The list may have some specified codes (for instance, ethmoid sinusitis, maxillary sinusitis, etc.) In the end, the health care provider may find that none of the specific ones applies, and chooses something like "sinusitis NOS." (I don't know if that's a real example without looking at the coding manual, but it gives a flavor for how the abbreviation is used.)
"Not Otherwise Specified"

It is a way to say that a particular patient has signs and symptoms that just doesn't fit nicely into the criteria set in the DSM.

Example: Personality disorders NOS:

Pervasive-aggressive

Depressive

Sadomasochistic

Sadistic
NOS is a medical coding term that stands for Not Otherwise Specified. It's really not a term used in medical science.
No other symptoms
No otherwise specified
not otherwise specified

Answer 2

"Not Otherwise Specified"

It is a way to say that a particular patient has signs and symptoms that just doesn't fit nicely into the criteria set in the DSM.

Example: Personality disorders NOS:

Pervasive-aggressive

Depressive

Sadomasochistic

Sadistic