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Abbreviation
Latin
Meaning
Possible confusion
aa
ana
of each
apply to affected
AAA
area
a.c.
ante cibum
before meals
"a" can be mistaken as an "o" which
a.d.
auris dextra
right ear
could read "o.d.", meaning right eye
use as much as one
ad lib.
ad libitum
desires; freely
admov.
admove
apply
agit
agita
stir/shake
alt. h.
alternis horis every other hour
ad manu
a.m.m.
at doctor's hand
medicae
morning, before
a.m.
ante meridiem
noon
amp
ampule
amt
amount
aq
aqua
water
"a" can be mistaken as an "o" which
auris laeva,
a.l., a.s.
left ear
could read "o.s." or "o.l", meaning
auris sinistra
left eye
A.T.C.
around the clock
"a" can be mistaken as an "o" which
a.u.
auris utraque both ears
could read "o.u.", meaning both eyes
bis die
BDS/bds
twice daily
sumendum
bis
bis
twice
AMA style avoids use of this
b.i.d./b.d.
bis in die
twice daily
abbreviation (spell out "twice a
day")
B.M.
bowel movement
British National
BNF
Formulary
as a large single dose
bol.
bolus
(usually
intravenously)
B.S.
blood sugar
B.S.A
body surface areas
mistaken for "b.i.d", meaning twice
b.t.
bedtime
daily
BUCC
bucca
inside cheek
cap., caps.
capsula
capsule
c, c.
cum
cib.
cibus
cc
cum cibo
cf
comp.
cr., crm
CST
D or d
D5W
D5NS
D.A.W.
dc, D/C, disc
dieb. alt.
dil.
disp.
div.
dL
d.t.d.
DTO
D.W.
elix.
e.m.p.
emuls.
et
eod
with food
compound
cream
Continue same
treatment
days or doses
dextrose 5% solution
(sometimes written
as D5W)
dextrose 5% in
normal saline (0.9%)
dispense as written
(i.e., no generic
substitution)
discontinue or
ambiguous meaning
discharge
diebus alternis every other day
dilute
dispersible or
dispense
divide
deciliter
dentur tales
give of such doses
doses
can easily be confused with "diluted
tincture of opium," which is 1/25th
deodorized tincture
the strength of deodorized tincture of
of opium
opium; deaths have resulted due to
massive morphine overdose[4]
distilled water
elixir
ex modo
as directed
prescripto
emulsum
emulsion
et
and
every other day
ex aq
fl., fld.
ft.
g
gr
gtt(s)
H
h, hr
h.s.
ex aqua
fiat
gutta(e)
hora
hora somni
h.s
ID
IJ, inj
injectio
IM
IN
IP
IT
IU
IV
IVP
IVPB
kg
L.A.S.
LCD
lin
liq
lot.
linimentum
liquor
MAE
mane
M.
m, min
mane
misce
minimum
mcg
m.d.u.
more dicto
utendus
in water
fluid
make; let it be made
gram
grain
drop(s)
hypodermic
hour
at bedtime
hour sleep or halfambiguous meaning
strength
intradermal
mistaken for "IV", meaning
injection
intravenously
intramuscular (with
respect to injections)
mistaken for "IM", meaning
intranasal
intramuscular, or "IV", meaning
intravenously
intraperitoneal
mistaken for other abbreviations;
intrathecal
spell out
mistaken for "IV" or "10", spell out
international unit
"international unit"
intravenous
intravenous push
intravenous
piggyback
kilogram
label as such
coal tar solution
liniment
solution
lotion
Moves All
Extremities
in the morning
mix
a minimum
Recommended replacement for "g"
microgram
which may be confused with "mg"
to be used as directed
mEq
mg
milliequivalent
milligram
milligrams per
deciliter
mg/dL
MgSO4
mist.
mitte
mL
magnesium sulfate
mistura
mitte
MS
MSO4
mix
send
millilitre
morphine sulfate or
magnesium sulfate
morphine sulfate
nebul
N.M.T.
noct.
non rep.
nebula
nocte
non repetatur
a spray
not more than
at night
no repeats
NPO
nil per os
nothing by mouth
NS
1/2NS
N.T.E.
o_2
od
omne in die,
right eye
od
oculus dexter
right eye
om
on
o.p.d.
omne mane
omne nocte
every morning
every night
once per day
o.s.
o.u.
oz
per
p.c.
pig./pigm.
p.m.
ounce
per
by or through
post cibum
after meals
pigmentum
paint
post meridiem evening or afternoon
p.o.
per os
by mouth or orally
p.r. or PR
PRN, prn
pulv.
PV
q
per rectum
pro re nata
pulvis
per vaginam
quaque
quaque alternis
die
quaque die ante
meridiem
by rectum
as needed
powder
via the vagina
every, per
q.a.d.
q.a.m.
q.d./q.1.d.
q.d.s.
q.p.m.
q.h.
q.h.s.
q.1 h, q.1
q.i.d.
quaque die
quater die
sumendus
quaque die post
meridiem
quaque hora
quaque hora
somni
q4PM
at 4pm
q.o.d.
qqh
q.s.
QWK
PR
rep., rept.
RL, R/L
s
quater quaque
every four hours
hora
quantum
a sufficient quantity
sufficiat
every week
rectal
repetatur
repeats
Ringer's lactate
without (usually
sine
written with a bar on
top of the "s")
s.a.
secundum
artem
s.i.d/SID
semel in die
once a day
sig
signa
write on label
sublingually, under
the tongue
shortness of breath
solution
if there is a need
one half or sliding
scale
sliding scale insulin
or sliding scale
regular insulin
Serotonin
norepinephrine
reuptake inhibitor
selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor
SL
S.O.B, SOB
sol
s.o.s., si op. sit
solutio
si opus sit
ss
semis
SSI, SSRI
SNRI
(antidepressant)
SSRI
(antidepressant)
stat
SubQ
supp
susp
syr
tab
tal., t
tbsp
t.d.s./TDS
t.i.d.
t.i.w.
top.
T.P.N.
(a specific class of
antidepressant)
statim
immediately
subcutaneously
suppositorium suppository
suspension
syrupus
syrup
tabella
tablet
talus
such
tablespoon
ter die
three times a day
sumendum
ter in die
trochiscus
unit
ut dictum
unguentum
as directed
ointment
United States
Pharmacopoeia
vaginally
with
while awake
with food (with
meals)
without
times
years old
Symbols
@
>
<
tincture
lozenge
teaspoon