Common Medical Abbreviations

1. Common Medical Abbreviations • The medical reports you will be required to analyze on the job will contain a variety of written abbreviations. In this section, we will introduce some of the medical abbreviations you are likely to encounter on the job. • While most medical abbreviations have their basis in Latin, you don’t need to be a Latin scholar to understand them. That’s because many words in the English language are derived from Latin, so it’s easy to make logical connections between the Latin abbreviations and their meanings. A few abbreviations commonly used today come directly from the English language. Slide 1 of 16

2. s - without Abbreviations • This abbreviation is based on the Latin word sine, which also means without. Slide 2 of 16

3. Pick a Box • You’re reviewing a medical report that notes, • “the patient left the hospital s prescribed medication”. • This patient left the hospital before medication was prescribed. with the medication that was prescribed. without the medication that was prescribed. Slide 3 of 16

4. Abbreviations c - with • Another common abbreviation is the letter c. • This abbreviation represents the Latin word cum, which means with. In English, the spelling has been changed to com, and is used in a number of words that use the concept of with, such as composure or compassion. Slide 4 of 16

5. Pick a Box • An excerpt from a medical report says, “this medication must be taken c water.” • This patient must take the medication without drinking any water. with water. before drinking water. Slide 5 of 16

6. Abbreviations i.d. – daily, in a day’s time • Abbreviations are sometimes used in conjunction with instructions for how often something is to be done. For example, a patient might be instructed to take a medication three times a day, or someone might be required to have a certain procedure performed everyday during a hospital stay. • This abbreviation is based on the Latin phrase in die. Note how similar in die is to the English derivative, in a day. Slide 6 of 16

7. Abbreviations Abbreviationsb + i.d. = b.i.d. t + i.d. = t.i.d. q+ i.d. = q.i.d. • Another letter is then added at the beginning of the abbreviation i.d. to complete the instruction. The most commonly used are: Slide 7 of 16

8. Pick a Box • 1. What does i.d stand for? Daily Twice a day Three times a day Four times a day 2. The abbreviation q.i.d. means quater in die. The term quarter is very close to the English words quarter and quadruple . Daily Twice a day Three times a day Four times a day 3. The abbreviation t.i.d. stands for ter in die. One English word that uses the Latin word ter is tertiary, which means third. Other English words use it’s derivative tri, such as tricycle or triangle. Daily Twice a day Three times a day Four times a day 4. The b in b.i.d. comes from the Latin word bis, from which the English language derives the prefix bi, as in biennial or bilateral. Daily Twice a day Three times a day Four times a day Slide 8 of 16

9. Abbreviations Abbreviationsq.d. – every dayq.o.d. – every other day • You know that q.i.d. means four times a day. There are two other abbreviations that are very close in construction, but different in meaning. • With these abbreviations, the q stands for quaque, which means every. There isn’t a similar-sounding English word to help you remember what the q means in this case, so you’ll have to rely on memorization. When q is used alone it always means every. Slide 9 of 16

10. Abbreviations • Use these hints to help you remember the difference between q.d. and q.o.d.: • The d in q.d. refers to the Latin word die, or day, so q.d. means every day. • For q.o.d., associate the letter o with the word other, then translate q.o.d. to every other day. • The letter q is sometimes used in other ways to designate every. For example, the letter h stands for hour or hours, so an order to give medication every two hours might be abbreviated as q2h. Slide 10 of 16

11. Abbreviations Abbreviationse.m.p. – as directed • This abbreviation represents the first three initials of the Latin phrase ex modo prescripto, which means in the mode prescribed. • Orders for medication and treatment may be referred to in the following way: Slide 11 of 16

12. Abbreviations AbbreviationsBP – Blood Pressure CC – chief complaint dos – dosage I.M. – intramuscular I.V. - intravenous • The next two groups of abbreviations are all based on English words. They are either shortened versions of the actual word or made up of one or two key letters. Slide 12 of 16

13. Abbreviations Abbreviationsq.s. – quantity sufficient R – respirations Tab – tablet v.s.s. – vital signs stable • Here are some more English-based medical abbreviations. Slide 13 of 16

14. Mental Matchmaker BP Intravenous CC Vital Signs Write down the two columns as they appear. Match the abbreviation in the left-hand column with its definition in the right hand column. Then proceed to the next slide. I.M. Quantity Sufficient I.V. Vital Signs Stable v.s. Respirations v.s.s. Intramuscular r Blood Pressure q.s. Chief Complaint Slide 14 of 16

15. Mental Matchmaker BP Intravenous CC Vital Signs I.M. Quantity Sufficient I.V. Vital Signs Stable v.s. Respirations v.s.s. Intramuscular r Blood Pressure q.s. Chief Complaint Slide 15 of 16

16. Great Job You made it through ABBREVIATIONS. Now let’s proceed to the next part of the course; MEDICAL SPECIALTIES. Click below to return to the web page and continue with the course. Slide 16 of 16