VL
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Viral load |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical |
VL has two meanings. It stands for Viral load (infectious disease) or Video laryngoscopy (anesthesia).
Meanings of VL at a glance
| # | VL stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viral load | Medical › Infectious Disease |
| 2 | Video laryngoscopy | Medical › Anesthesia |
1. Viral load
Medical · Infectious Disease Abbreviations
Amount of virus in the blood, measured by PCR as copies per milliliter, used to monitor HIV, hepatitis B and C, and CMV infection. For HIV, "undetectable" usually means below 20–50 copies/mL, and a suppressed load is the main goal of treatment.
Example: HIV VL under 20 copies/mL and CD4 612 at 6 months; continue current regimen.
Viral load is checked a few weeks after starting or changing therapy, then every three to six months. Brief low-level "blips" are common and not a sign of failure. A level below 200 copies/mL prevents sexual transmission of HIV. In hepatitis B, HBV DNA is reported in IU/mL rather than copies.
2. Video laryngoscopy
Medical · Anesthesia Abbreviations
Intubation with a laryngoscope that has a camera near the blade tip and displays the larynx on a screen, letting the operator see around the curve of the tongue without aligning mouth and throat. It improves glottic views in difficult airways and lets supervisors and assistants watch.
Example: VL with hyperangulated blade and rigid stylet; first-pass success.
Common devices include the GlideScope (introduced in 2001), C-MAC and McGRATH. Hyperangulated blades give excellent views but can make passing the tube harder, so a curved stylet is used. Trials in emergency and intensive care settings, including the DEVICE trial (2023), found higher first-attempt success with VL than with direct laryngoscopy.
Related abbreviations
More infectious disease abbreviations
- ACIP – Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
- AIDS – Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- AMR – Antimicrobial resistance
- ARF – Acute rheumatic fever
- ART – Antiretroviral therapy
- ASP – Antimicrobial stewardship program
- BCG – Bacillus Calmette-Guérin
- BSI – Bloodstream infection
See all 92 infectious disease abbreviations →
More anesthesia abbreviations
- ASA – American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification
- BIS – Bispectral index
- CICO – Can't intubate, can't oxygenate
- CSE – Combined spinal-epidural
- DL – Direct laryngoscopy
- eFONA – Emergency front-of-neck access
- ESP – Erector spinae plane (block)
- EtCO2 – End-tidal carbon dioxide
See all 34 anesthesia abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.