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Medical Abbreviation
Abbreviations commonly used in medical terminology
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| PACU | post-anesthesia care unit |
| SOB | shortness of breath |
| CTA | clear to auscultation (normal lung sounds) |
| WNL | within normal limits |
| PERRLA | pupils are equal, round, and reactive to light and accomodation |
| Sig | instructions, short for "signa", from the Latin, for "label" |
| NPO | nil per os (nothing by mouth) |
| IM | intramuscular |
| PRN | as needed, from the Latin phrase "per re nato", which means "as the need arises" |
| QID | four times daily, from the Latin phrase, "quarter in die", which means "four in a day" |
| QHS | at night, from the Latin phrase, "quaque hora somni" which means "each night at the hour of sleep" |