Abbreviations | Meaning |
ung | ointment |
tr | tincture |
tid | ter in die (t.i.d.) - three times a day |
tsp | teaspoon |
Tbs | tablespoon |
tab | tablet |
stat | at once |
ss | half |
sol | solution |
sc | subcutaneous |
s | sine, s without |
Rx | take or " take thou" |
qs | of sufficient quantity |
qod | every other day |
qid | quater in die (qid) - four times a day |
q2h | every 2 hours |
q3h | every 3 hours |
q4h | every 4 hours |
q (2, 3, 4 ) h | every (2, 3, 4 ) hour |
qh | quaque hora (qh) - every hour |
qd | quaque die (qd) - every day |
q | every |
pt | patient |
p.r.n. | as needed,... = "pro re nata " |
PO | Per os (by mouth) |
per | by or with |
pc | "post cibum", after meals |
oz | ounce |
OU | both eyes, ocul units |
OS | Ocul sinister = Left eye = sinister eye |
OD | Right eye = Oculus dexter |
non rep | do not repeat ( non repetitive ) |
NPO | nothing by mouth |
mm | milli meter |
mL | milli liter |
mg | milli gram |
m or min | minim |
liq | liquid |
L | liter |
kg | kilo gram |
IV | intra venous |
IU | international units |
IM | intra muscular |
qs | at bedtime, q = every , s = sumni (sleep ) |
h | hour |
gt or gtt | "guttae", drops |
gr | grain |
g or gm | gram |
elix | elixir |
dr | dram |
dil | dilute |
caps | capsules |
cc | cubic centimeters |
c | abbreviation for cum - Latin for with |
b.i.d. | "bis in die" Latin, twice a day). |
AU | both ears, ... auxillary units |
aq | water |
AS | AUXILLARY SINISTER ( Left ear ) |
ad lib | as desired,...At liberty. For example, a patient may be permitted to move out of bed freely and orders would, therefore, be for activities to be ad lib. |
AD | AUXILLARY DEXTER ( Right Ear ) |
ac | ( ante cibum) means "before meals |
aa | of each. Used when two or more ingredients are present in the same amount.
They are listed sequentially with the symbol placed next to the last item of
the group which it refers |
qhs | Quaque hora somni (at bed time) |
sig. | Signetur (sig) - Let it be labeled. |
Sx | Symptom |
ut dict. | = as directed (from "ut dictum", as directed) |
quaque | every |
"h" | the number of hours |
H | HORA = HOURS |
HORA SOMNI = EVERY HOUR AT BEDTIME | QHS |
QUAQUE = | EVERY |
COPD | chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
OCP | Oral Contraceptive Pills |
Δ | diagnosis; change |
ΔΔ | differential diagnosis (the list of possible diagnoses, and the effort to narrow that list) |
# | fracture |
#NOF | fracture to the neck of the femur |
Ψ | psychiatry |
Σ | sigmoidoscopy (examines up to the sigmoid, the most distal part of the colon, while colonoscopy examines the whole large bowel) |
x/12 | x number of months |
x/40 | x number of weeks of pregnancy |
x/52 | x number of weeks |
x/7 | x number of days |
5-HIAA | 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid |
5-HT | 5-hydroxytryptamine, that is, serotonin |
AAOx3 | awake, alert, and oriented, times 3 (i.e., to person, place, and time) |
A/B | acid-base ratio |