List of medical abbreviations: Latin abbreviations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

v • d • e
the medical abbreviations series

Overview • 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Listed below are medical abbreviations whose expanded forms are from Latin (or New Latin).

Some of these are considered non-standardized abbreviations because their meanings could be easily misunderstood.

Abbrev. Meaning Latin (or New Latin) origin
a.c. Before food ante cibum
a.d. Right ear auris dexter
ad lib. Freely as wanted ad libitum
a.l. Left ear aurix laevus
alt. die Every other day alternus die
alt. h. Every other hour alternus horis
a.m. Morning ante meridiem
a.n. Before the night ante noctum
aq. Water aqua
a.s. Left ear auris sinister
a.u. Each ear auris utro
aurist. Ear drops auristillae
b.d. or bd Twice a day bis die
b.i.d. or bid Twice a day bis in die
gtt. Drop gutta
h. Hour hora
h.d. at bed tim hora decubitus
h.s. At bedtime hora somni
i.d. during the day
i.d. the same idem
i.d. intradermal, between layers of the skin
mane In the morning mane
narist. Nasal drops naristillae
nocte At night nocte
o.c. Eye ointment oculentum
o.d. or od Daily omni die
o.d. Right eye oculus dexter
o.l. Left eye oculus laevus
o.m. In the morning omni mane
o.n. At night omni nocte
o.r. Right eye oculus rectus
o.s. Left eye oculus sinister
o.u. Each eye oculus utro
p.c. After food post cibum
p.m. Afternoon post meridiem
p.o. or po Orally per os
p.r. Rectally per rectum
p.r.n. As occasion requires (as needed) pro re nata
p.v. Vaginally per vaginum
q. every quaque
q.2.h. Every two hours quaque 2 hora
q.4.h. Every four hours quaque 4 hora
q.6.h. Every six hours quaque 6 hora
q.8.h. Every eight hours quaque 8 hora
q.d. or qd Every day quaque die
q.d.s. Four times a day quater die sumendus
q.h. Every hour, hourly quaque hora
q.i.d. or qid Four times a day quater in die
q.q.h. Every four hours quarta quaque hora
q.s. A sufficient quantity quantum sufficiat
Rx or for symbol ℞ meaning prescription recipe
s.i.d. or sid Once a day semel in die
Sig. or S. Write on the label signa
SL. Sublingual, under the tongue sub linguam
S.O.S. When required Si opus sit
Stat. Immediately, with no delay statim
t.d.s. Three times a day ter die sumendus
t.i.d. or tid Three times a day ter in die
top. Topically, applied to the skin
ut dict. or u.d. As directed ut dictum
ung. Ointment unguentum
v • d • e
the medical abbreviations series

Overview • 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z