CP-20 Prohibited Medical Abbreviations Re. 7/06 The following medical abbreviations must not be used in clinical documentation in the form of free text (either handwritten or electronic) or any preprinted forms. For more detailed information, please see BIDMC Policy CP-20: Prohibited Medical Abbreviations. Intended Meaning Unacceptable Abbreviation Misinterpretation Acceptable Alternative Medication Names MS MSO4 Morphine sulfate Mistaken for “magnesium sulfate” MgSO4 Magnesium sulfate Mistaken for “morphine sulfate” Use “morphine sulfate” Use “magnesium sulfate” Dose Trailing Zeros: Zero written after decimal points 1 mg Misread as “10 mg” Do not use terminal zeros for doses expressed in whole units (Write “1 mg”) (Unacceptable example: 1.0 mg) **Exception: Trailing zeros may be used in nonmedication-related documentation when there is a clear need to demonstrate level of precision, such as for laboratory values, imaging study measurement of lesion sizes, or catheter and therapeutic tube sizes. Missing Leading Zeros: Zero missing before decimal points 0.5 mg Misread as “5 mg” Always use zero before a decimal point when the dose is less than a whole unit (Unacceptable example: .5 mg) (Write “0.5 mg”) U Unit Misread as “zero (0),” “four (4),” or “cc (cubic cm)” Use “unit” IU International unit Misread as “IV Use “unit” or “international (intravenous)” or “10 unit” (ten)” μg Microgram Misread as “mg” Use “mcg” QD Once daily The period after “Q” can be mistaken for “I” (as in “QID”) or “O” (as in “QOD”) Use “daily” or “once daily” QOD Every other day The “O” can be Use “every other day” mistaken for a period (as in “Q.D.”) or “I” (as in “QID”) Letter “d” Days Mistaken for “doses” Use “days” or “doses” Frequency (Unacceptable example: x 3d) TIW or tiw Three times a week Mistaken for “three times a day” Do not use this abbreviation. Specify which days of the week.