Commonly Used Health Care Abbreviations Commonly Used Health Care Abbreviations (cont’d) Abbreviation Meaning Abbreviation Meaning ac ad lib before meals as desired, freely morning before noon ampule aqueous, water twice a day with capsule controlled dose controlled release dilute double strength enteric coated elixir fluid gastrostomy tube drop hour intradermal intramuscular intravenous intravenous piggyback keep vein open (a very slow infusion rate) long acting length of stay minute mixture intranasal nasogastric tube at night nothing by mouth normal saline after meals through or by evening, before midnight by mouth, oral by rectum when necessary/required, as needed every every morning every hour every 2 hours, every 4 hours, every 6 hours, every 8 hours, every 12 hours four times a day a sufficient amount/as much as needed rectum SL soln SR stat SUBCUT supp susp syp tab TID tinct ung, oint vag XL XR sublingual solution sustained release immediately, at once subcutaneous suppository suspension syrup tablet three times a day tincture ointment vaginally long acting extended release AM amp aq BID c cap* CD CR dil. DS EC elix. fld. GT gtt h, hr ID IM IV IVPB KVO LA LOS min mix NAS NG, NGT noct NPO NS, N/S pc per PM PO pr prn q q.a.m. qh q2h, q4h, q6h, q8h, q12h QID qs rect *It is preferable to avoid using “cap” because it could refer to “capsule” or “caplet.” Symbols and Abbreviations for Units of Measurement Used in Medication Administration Abbreviation/Symbol Meaning g gtt kg L mcg mg mL mmol† ↑ ↓ △ gram drop kilogram litre microgram milligram millilitre millimole increase decrease change † mmol (millimole) is a medication measurement in which electrolytes are measured; it expresses the ionic activity of a medication. Milliequivalents (mEq) are also used to measure electrolytes and may still be seen on some medication labels, but mmol is the preferred measurement in Canada. Temperature Conversion Rule • To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 and divide by 1.8. • To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply by 1.8 and add 32. C° F° 37 38 39 40 98.6 100.4 102.2 104
