List of medical abbreviations: Latin
abbreviations
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. Meaning Latin (or New 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, bd twice a day / twice daily / 2 times daily bis in die
gtt., gtts drop(s) gutta(e)
h., h hour hora
h.s., hs at bedtime or half strength hora somni
ii two tablets duos doses
iii three tablets trēs doses
n.p.o., npo,
nothing by mouth / not by oral administration nil per os
NPO
once a day omne in die
o.d., od, OD
right eye oculus dexter
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
per os / nonstandard form per
p.o., po, PO orally / by mouth / oral administration
orem
p.r., pr, PR rectally per rectum
as needed, (also Pertactin - a key antigen of ac.Pertussis
p.r.n., prn, PRN pro re nata
vaccine)
q. every quaque
q.1.d., q1d every day quaque die
q.1.h., q1h every hour quaque hora
q.2.h., q2h every 2 hours quaque secunda hora
1
Abbrev. Meaning Latin (or New Latin) origin
q.4.h., q4h every 4 hours quaque quarta hora
q.6.h., q6h every 6 hours quaque sexta hora
q.8.h., q8h every 8 hours quaque octava hora
q.a.m., qAM,
every morning quaque ante meridiem
qam
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,
every afternoon or evening quaque post meridiem
qpm
q.s., qs a sufficient quantity (enough) quantum sufficiat
q.wk. also qw weekly (once a week)
Rx, Rx, prescription recipe
Sig., S. directions signa
Stat. immediately, with no delay, now statim
t.d.s, tds, TDS 3 times a day ter die sumendum
u.d., ud as directed ut dictum
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