COMMON ABBREVIATIONS USED IN MEDICATION ORDERS
|
Abbreviation
|
From the Latin
|
Meaning
|
|
aa
|
ana
|
of each
|
|
ad
|
ad
|
up to
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a.c.
|
ante
cibum
|
before
meals
|
|
a.d.
|
aurio dextra
|
right ear
|
|
ad
lib.
|
ad
libitum
|
use
as much as one desires; freely
|
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admov.
|
admove
|
apply
|
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agit
|
agita
|
stir/shake
|
|
alt.
h.
|
alternis horis
|
every other hour
|
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a.m.
|
ante
meridiem
|
morning,
before noon
|
|
amp
|
|
ampule
|
|
amt
|
|
amount
|
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aq
|
aqua
|
water
|
|
a.l.,
a.s.
|
aurio
laeva, aurio sinister
|
left ear
|
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A.T.C.
|
|
around the clock
|
|
a.u.
|
auris
utrae
|
both ears
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bis
|
bis
|
twice
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b.i.d.
|
bis
in die
|
twice daily
|
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B.M.
|
|
bowel movement
|
|
bol.
|
bolus
|
as
a large single dose (usually intravenously)
|
|
B.S.
|
|
blood sugar
|
|
B.S.A
|
|
body surface areas
|
|
cap.,
caps.
|
capsula
|
capsule
|
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c
|
cum
|
with (usually written with a bar on top of the "c")
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c
|
cibos
|
food
|
|
cc
|
cum cibos
|
with food, (but also cubic centimetre)
|
|
cf
|
|
with food
|
|
comp.
|
|
compound
|
|
cr.,
crm
|
|
cream
|
|
D5W
|
|
dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W)
|
|
D5NS
|
|
dextrose 5% in
normal saline (0.9%)
|
|
D.A.W.
|
|
dispense
as written
|
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dc,
D/C, disc
|
|
discontinue
|
|
dieb.
alt.
|
diebus alternis
|
every other day
|
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dil.
|
|
dilute
|
|
|
|
|
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disp.
|
|
dispense
|
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div.
|
|
divide
|
|
d.t.d.
|
dentur tales doses
|
give of such doses
|
|
D.W.
|
|
distilled
water
|
|
elix.
|
|
elixir
|
|
e.m.p.
|
ex
modo prescripto
|
as
directed
|
|
emuls.
|
emulsum
|
emulsion
|
|
et
|
et
|
and
|
|
ex
aq
|
ex aqua
|
in water
|
|
fl.,
fld.
|
|
fluid
|
|
ft.
|
fiat
|
make; let it be
made
|
|
g
, gm ,Gm
|
|
gram
|
|
gr
|
|
grain
|
|
gtt(s)
|
gutta(e)
|
drop(s)
|
|
H
|
|
hypodermic
|
|
h,
hr
|
hora
|
hour
|
|
h.s.
|
hora somni
|
at bedtime
|
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ID
|
|
intradermal
|
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IM
|
|
intramuscular
(with respect to injections)
|
|
inj.
|
injectio
|
injection
|
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IP
|
|
intraperitoneal
|
|
IV
|
|
intravenous
|
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IVP
|
|
intravenous push
|
|
IVPB
|
|
intravenous
piggyback
|
|
Kg
,Kg
|
|
Kilogram
|
|
L
or L
|
|
Liter
|
|
L.A.S.
|
|
label as such
|
|
LCD
|
|
coal
tar solution
|
|
lin
|
linimentum
|
liniment
|
|
liq
|
liquor
|
solution
|
|
lot.
|
|
lotion
|
|
M.
|
misce
|
mix
|
|
m,
min
|
minimum
|
a minimum
|
|
mcg
|
|
microgram
|
|
mEq
|
|
milliequivalent
|
|
mg
|
|
milligram
|
|
mist.
|
mistura
|
mix
|
|
mitte
|
mitte
|
send
|
|
|
|
|
|
mL
|
|
millilitre
|
|
nebul
|
nebula
|
a spray
|
|
N.M.T.
|
|
not
more than
|
|
noct.
|
nocte
|
at night
|
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non
rep.
|
non repetatur
|
no
repeats
|
|
NS
|
|
normal saline
(0.9%)
|
|
1/2NS
|
|
half normal saline (0.45%)
|
|
N.T.E.
|
|
not to exceed
|
|
o_2
|
|
both
eyes, sometimes written as o2
|
|
O.D.
|
oculus dexter
|
right eye
|
|
O.S.
|
oculus
sinister
|
left
eye
|
|
O.U.
|
oculus uterque
|
both eyes
|
|
oz
|
|
ounce
|
|
per
|
per
|
by or through
|
|
p.c.
|
post
cibum
|
after
meals
|
|
p.m.
|
post meridiem
|
evening or
afternoon
|
|
prn
|
pro
re nata
|
as
needed
|
|
p.o.
|
per os
|
by mouth or
orally
|
|
p.r.
|
|
by
rectum
|
|
pulv.
|
pulvis
|
powder
|
|
q
|
quaque
|
every
|
|
q.a.d.
|
quoque alternis
die
|
every other day
|
|
q.a.m.
|
quaque
die ante meridiem
|
every
day before noon (every morning)
|
|
q.h.
|
quaque hora
|
every hour
|
|
q.h.s.
|
quaque
hora somni
|
every night at bedtime
|
|
q.1h
|
quaque 1 hora
|
every
1 hour; (can replace "1" with other numbers)
|
|
q.d.
|
quaque
die
|
every day
|
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q.i.d.
|
quater in die
|
four times a day
|
|
q.o.d.
|
|
every
other day
|
|
qqh
|
quater quaque hora
|
every four hours
|
|
q.s.
|
quantum sufficiat
|
a sufficient quantity
|
|
R
|
|
rectal
|
|
rep.,
rept.
|
repetatur
|
repeats
|
|
RL,
R/L
|
|
Ringer's lactate
|
|
s
|
sine
|
without
(usually written with a bar on top of the
"s")
|
|
|
|
|
|
s.a.
|
secundum artum
|
use your judgement
|
|
SC,
subc, subq, subcut
|
|
subcutaneous
|
|
sig
|
|
write
on label
|
|
SL
|
|
sublingually,
under the tongue
|
|
sol
|
solutio
|
solution
|
|
s.o.s.,
si op. sit
|
si opus sit
|
if there is a need
|
|
ss
|
semis
|
one
half
|
|
stat
|
statim
|
immediately
|
|
supp
or sup
|
suppositorium
|
suppository
|
|
susp
|
|
suspension
|
|
syr
|
syrupus
|
syrup
|
|
tab
|
tabella
|
tablet
|
|
tal.,
t
|
talus
|
such
|
|
tbsp
|
|
tablespoon
|
|
troche
|
trochiscus
|
lozenge
|
|
tsp
|
|
teaspoon
|
|
t.i.d.
|
ter
in die
|
three times a day
|
|
t.d.s.
|
ter die sumendum
|
three times a day
|
|
t.i.w.
|
|
three
times a week
|
|
top.
|
|
topical
|
|
T.P.N.
|
|
total
parenteral nutrition
|
|
tr,
tinc., tinct.
|
|
tincture
|
|
u.d.,
ut. dict.
|
ut dictum
|
as
directed
|
|
ung.
|
unguentum
|
ointment
|
|
U.S.P.
|
|
United
States Pharmacopoeia
|
|
vag
|
|
vaginally
|
|
w
|
|
with
|
|
w/o
|
|
without
|
|
X
|
|
times
|
|
Y.O.
|
|
years old
|
COMMENTS