List of medical abbreviations: Latin abbreviations

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The main discussion of these abbreviations in the context of drug prescriptions and other medical prescriptions is at List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions . Some of these abbreviations are best not used, as marked and explained here.

Abbrev. [1] Meaning [1] Latin (or Neo-Latin) origin [1]
a.c.before meals
a.d., ad, ADright earauris dextra
a.m., am, AM morning ante meridiem
nocteevery nightOmne Nocte
a.s., as, ASleft earauris sinistra
a.u., au, AUboth ears together or each earaures unitas or auris uterque
b.d.s, bds, BDS2 times a daybis die sumendum
b.i.d., bid, BIDtwice a day / twice dailybis in die
gtt., gtts drop(s) gutta(e)
h., h hour hora
qhs, h.s., hs at bedtime or half strengthquaque hora somni
iitwo tabletsduos doses
iiithree tabletstrēs doses
n.p.o., npo, NPOnothing by mouth / not by oral administration nihil per os
o.d., od, ODright eye

once a day (United Kingdom)

oculus dexter

omne in die

o.s., os, OSleft eye oculus sinister
o.u., ou, OUboth eyes oculus uterque
p.c.after food post cibum
p.m., pm, PM afternoon or evening post meridiem
p.o., po, POby mouth / oral administration per os / nonstandard form per orem
p.r., pr, PR rectally / rectal administration per rectum
p.r.n., prn, PRNas needed pro re nata
q.every quaque
q.1.h., q1hevery hour quaque hora
q.2.h., q2hevery 2 hoursquaque secunda hora
q.4.h., q4hevery 4 hoursquaque quarta hora
q.6.h., q6hevery 6 hoursquaque sexta hora
q.8.h., q8hevery 8 hoursquaque octava hora
q.a.m., qAM, qamevery morning quaque ante meridiem
q.d., qdevery day / dailyquaque die
q.h.s., qhsevery night at bedtimequaque hora somni
q.d.s, qds, QDS4 times a dayquater die sumendum
q.i.d, qid4 times a dayquater in die
q.h., qhevery hour, hourlyquaque hora
q.o.d., qodevery other day / alternate daysquaque altera die
q.p.m., qPM, qpmevery afternoon or evening quaque post meridiem
q.s., qsa sufficient quantity (enough) quantum sufficiat
q.wk. also qwweekly (once a week)quaque week
Rx, Rx, prescription recipe
Sig., S. directions signa
Stat.immediately, with no delay, now statim
t.i.d., tid, TID3 times a dayter in die
t.d.s., tds, TDStake by mouth 3 times a dayter die sumendus
u.d., udas directed ut dictum

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Partial list of prescription abbreviations" (PDF). www.mn.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-11-28. Retrieved 2024-11-30.