PEG
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical, Business & Finance |
PEG has three meanings. The most common are Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (gastroenterology) and Polyethylene glycol (laxative and bowel preparation) (gastroenterology); it can also stand for Price/earnings-to-growth ratio.
Meanings of PEG at a glance
| # | PEG stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy | Medical › Gastroenterology |
| 2 | Polyethylene glycol (laxative and bowel preparation) | Medical › Gastroenterology |
| 3 | Price/earnings-to-growth ratio | Business & Finance › Stock Market & Investing |
1. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy
Medical · Gastroenterology Abbreviations
Feeding tube placed through the abdominal wall into the stomach with endoscopic guidance, used for long-term enteral nutrition in patients who cannot swallow safely, such as after stroke or with head and neck cancer. Feeding can usually begin within hours of placement.
Example: Severe dysphagia after stroke failing SLP trials; GI consulted for PEG placement.
The technique was introduced by Gauderer and Ponsky in 1980. Guidelines generally reserve PEG for patients expected to need tube feeding for more than about four weeks. Placement is not recommended for patients with advanced dementia, where it has not been shown to prolong life or prevent aspiration. A PEG-J adds a jejunal extension for patients who cannot tolerate gastric feeds.
2. Polyethylene glycol (laxative and bowel preparation)
Medical · Gastroenterology Abbreviations · also used in science
Osmotic agent that draws water into the bowel; in small daily doses it treats constipation, and in large-volume electrolyte solutions it cleanses the colon before colonoscopy. Over-the-counter PEG 3350 powder is sold as MiraLAX in the US.
Example: Bowel prep: split-dose PEG solution, 2 L the evening before and 2 L five hours before colonoscopy.
Split dosing, with half the prep taken the morning of the procedure, gives a cleaner colon than taking it all the night before. The same chemical is used in pharmaceutical formulations, where "PEGylation" attaches PEG chains to drugs to lengthen their half-life. The number 3350 refers to the average molecular weight.
3. Price/earnings-to-growth ratio
Business & Finance · Stock Market & Investing Abbreviations
Valuation ratio that divides a stock's P/E ratio by its expected annual earnings growth rate, adjusting the P/E for growth. A PEG of 1 is traditionally seen as fair value, and lower figures suggest a stock is cheap relative to its growth.
Example: A P/E of 30 with 20 percent expected growth gives a PEG of 1.5.
Peter Lynch, manager of the Fidelity Magellan Fund, popularized the ratio in his 1989 book One Up on Wall Street. The result depends heavily on the growth estimate, typically analysts' forecasts for the next three to five years. PEG is less meaningful for slow-growing or cyclical companies.
Related abbreviations
More gastroenterology abbreviations
- NVD – Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- OGD – Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy
- OLT – Orthotopic liver transplantation
- PBC – Primary biliary cholangitis
- POEM – Peroral endoscopic myotomy
- PSC – Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- PTC – Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography
- PUD – Peptic ulcer disease
See all 85 gastroenterology abbreviations →
More stock market & investing abbreviations
- P/B – Price-to-book ratio
- P/E – Price-to-earnings ratio
- P/S – Price-to-sales ratio
- PDT – Pattern day trader
- PFOF – Payment for order flow
- PT – Price target
- RIA – Registered investment adviser
- RSI – Relative strength index
See all 110 stock market & investing abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.