ABBREVIATIONS This is a list of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions (sometimes referred to as "sig codes").

Its listing here does not mean such abbreviations should be used. Capitalization and the use of a period is a matter of style. In the attached list, Latin is not capitalized whereas English acronyms are. The period is used wherever there are letters omitted in the abbreviation. Partial list of prescription abbreviations Latin Meaning ana of each ad up to ante cibum before meals auris dextra right ear ad libitum use as much as one desires; freely admove apply agita stir/shake alternis horis every other hour Ante Meridiem morning, before noon ampule amount aqua water auris laeva, auris sinistra left ear around the clock auris utraque both ears bis twice bis in die twice daily bowel movement bolus as a large single dose (usually intravenously) blood sugar body surface areas bucca inside cheek capsula capsule cum with (usually written with a bar on top of the "c") cibus food cum cibo with food, (but also cubic centimetre) with food compound cream Continue same treatment dextrose 5% solution (sometimes written as D5W) dextrose 5% in normal saline (0.9%)

Abbreviation aa ad a.c. a.d. ad lib. admov. agit alt. h. a.m. amp amt aq a.l., a.s. A.T.C. a.u. bis b.d./b.i.d. B.M. bol. B.S. B.S.A BUCC cap., caps. c, c. cib. cc cf comp. cr., crm CST D5W D5NS

D.A.W. dc, D/C, disc dieb. alt. dil. disp. div. d.t.d. D.W. elix. e.m.p. emuls. et ex aq fl., fld. ft. g gr gtt(s) H h, hr h.s. ID IM inj. IP IV IVP IVPB L.A.S. LCD lin liq lot. mane M. m, min mcg m.d.u. mEq mg

diebus alternis

dentur tales doses

ex modo prescripto emulsum et ex aqua fiat

gutta(e) hora hora somni

injectio

linimentum liquor mane misce minimum more dicto utendus

dispense as written discontinue every other day dilute dispense divide give of such doses distilled water elixir as directed emulsion and in water fluid make; let it be made gram grain drop(s) hypodermic hour at bedtime intradermal intramuscular (with respect to injections) injection intraperitoneal intravenous intravenous push intravenous piggyback label as such coal tar solution liniment solution lotion in the morning mix a minimum microgram to be used as directed milliequivalent milligram

mist. mitte mL nebul N.M.T. noct. non rep. NS 1/2NS N.T.E. o_2 o.d. o.p.d. o.s. o.u. oz per p.c. pig./pigm. p.m. prn p.o. p.r. pulv. q q.a.d. q.a.m. q.d.s. q.p.m. q.h. q.h.s. q.1h, q.1 q.d. q.i.d. q.o.d. qqh q.s. QWK

mistura mitte nebula nocte non repetatur

mix send millilitre a spray not more than at night no repeats normal saline (0.9%) half normal saline (0.45%) not to exceed both eyes, sometimes written as o2 right eye once per day left eye both eyes ounce by or through after meals paint evening or afternoon as needed by mouth or orally by rectum powder every every other day every day before noon four times a day every day after noon every hour every night at bedtime every 1 hour; (can replace "1" with other numbers) every day four times a day every other day every four hours a sufficient quantity every week

oculus dexter oculus sinister oculus uterque per post cibum pigmentum Post Meridiem pro re nata per os pulvis quaque quoque alternis die quaque die ante meridiem quater die sumendus quaque die post meridiem quaque hora quaque hora somni quaque 1 hora quaque die quater in die quater quaque hora quantum sufficiat

R rep., rept. RL, R/L s

repetatur sine

s.a. secundum artum SC, subc, subcut, subq, subcutaneous SQ sig write on label SL sublingually, under the tongue sol solutio solution s.o.s., si op. sit si opus sit if there is a need ss semis one half stat statim immediately supp suppositorium suppository susp suspension syr syrupus syrup tab tabella tablet tal., t talus such tbsp tablespoon troche trochiscus lozenge tsp teaspoon t.i.d. ter in die three times a day t.d.s. ter die sumendum three times a day t.i.w. three times a week top. topical T.P.N. total parenteral nutrition tr, tinc., tinct. tincture u.d., ut. dict. ut dictum as directed ung. unguentum ointment U.S.P. United States Pharmacopoeia vag vaginally w with wf with food (with meals) w/o without X times Y.O. years old To avoid ambiguity, the following abbreviations are not recommended:

rectal repeats Ringer's lactate without (usually written with a bar on top of the "s") use your judgement

a.u., a.s., a.d. - Latin for both, left and right ears; the "a" can be misread to be an "o" and interpreted to mean both, right or left eyes bt - intended to mean "bedtime", but can be misread as "bid" or twice daily.

d/c - can mean "discontinue" or "discharge" h.s. - can mean half strength or "hour of sleep" IJ - intended to mean "injection", but can be misread as "IV" IN - intended to mean "intranasal", but can be misread as "IM" or "IV" IU - intended to mean "international unit", but can be misread as "IV" or "10" o.d., o.s., o.u. - the "o" can be misread as "a". o.d. - can mean "once daily" or "right eye". OJ - intended to mean "orange juice" but can be misread as "OD" or "OS" q4PM - intended to mean "at 4 PM", but can be misread as every 4 hours q.d., q1d - intended to mean "every day" but can be misread as "q.i.d." or 4 times a day q.o.d. - meant "every other day" but the "o" can be interpreted as "." or "i" resulting in double or eight times the frequency SC - meant "subcutaneous" but mistaken for "SL" for "sublingual" SQ - meant "subcutaneous" but mistaken for "5Q" or 5 every dose 'ss - intended to mean "sliding scale" or "1/2", but can be mistaken as "55" 'SSI, SSRI - intended to mean "sliding scale insulin" or "sliding scale regular insulin", but can be mistaken as "strong solution of iodine" or "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor T.I.W - meant 3 times a week but mistaken for twice a week U - meant "units" but mistaken for "0", "4" (so "4U" can become "40" and the "U" is assumed), or misread as "cc" when poorly written; conversely cc can be mistaken for "U" g - meant "microgram" but mistaken for "mg"; this 1000-fold error can cause potentially fatal misunderstandings