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. 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, bed, BID twice a day / twice daily / 2 times daily bis in die
gtt., gtts drop(s) gutta(e)
h., h hour hora
qhs, h.s., hs at bedtime or half strength hora somni
ii two tablets duos doses
iii three tablets trēs doses
n.p.o., npo, NPO nothing by mouth / not by oral administration nil per os
qd, SID, o.d., od, OD, once a day
right eye 		omne in die
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
p.o., po, PO orally / by mouth / oral administration per os / nonstandard form per orem
p.r., pr, PR rectally per rectum
p.r.n., prn, PRN as needed, (also Pertactin - a key antigen of ac.Pertussis vaccine) pro re nata
q. every quaque
q.1.h., q1h every hour quaque hora
q.2.h., q2h every 2 hours quaque secunda hora
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, qam every morning quaque ante meridiem
q.d., qd every day / daily
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, qpm every afternoon or evening quaque post meridiem
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.i.d., tid, TID 3 times a day /thrice a day
t.d.s., tds, TDS, TID take by mouth 3 times a day ter die sumendus
u.d., ud as directed ut dictum

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