Medical Abbreviations (Latin Abbreviations)

Abbreviations in the context of drug prescriptions and other medical prescriptions is-

Abbrev      Meaning   Latin  origin
a.c.     before meals ante cibum
a.d., ad, AD         right ear auris dextra
a.m., am, AM    Morning     Ante meridiem
nocte     every night    Omne Nocte
a.s., as, AS    left ear     auris sinistra
a.u., au, AU       both ears together or each ear  aures unitas or auris uterque
b.d.s, bds, BDS         2 times a day bis die sumendum
b.i.d., bid, BID       twice a day / twice daily  bis in die
gtt., gtts  drop(s) gutta(e)
h., h      hour   hora
qhs, h.s., hs      at bedtime or half strength   quaque hora somni
ii       two tablets  duos doses
iii         three tablets trēs doses
n.p.o., npo, NPO     nothing by mouth / not by oral  nil per os
o.d., od, OD    
  • right eye
  • once a day (United Kingdom)
  • oculus dexter
  • omne in die
o.s., os, OS      left eye   oculus sinister
o.u., ou, OU         both eyes oculus uterque
p.c.     after food    post cibum
p.m., pm, PM         afternoon or evening post meridiem
p.o., po, PO         by mouth / oral administration per os
p.r., pr, PR       rectally / rectal administration  per rectum
p.r.n., prn, PRN     as needed pro re nata
q.     every    quaque
q.1.h., q1h       every hour   quaque hora
q.2.h., q2h       every 2 hours  quaque secunda hora
q.a.m., qAM, qam      every morning   quaque ante meridiem
q.d., qd      every day / daily   quaque die
q.h.s., qhs     every night at bedtime    quaque hora somni
q.d.s, qds, QDS        4 times a day  quater die sumendum
q.i.d, qid         4 times a day quater in die
q.h., qh      every hour, hourly   quaque hora
q.o.d., qod      every other day / alternate days   quaque altera die
q.p.m., qPM, qpm        every afternoon or evening  quaque post meridiem
q.s., qs       a sufficient quantity (enough)  quantum sufficiat
q.wk. also qw     weekly (once a week)     quaque week
Rx, Rx, ℞    prescription     recipe
Sig., S.     directions    signa
Stat.      immediately, with no delay, now   statim
t.i.d., tid, TID       3 times a day  ter in die
t.d.s., tds, TDS       take by mouth 3 times a day  ter die sumendus
u.d., ud         as directed ut dictum




 

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