Nurses, please define OPV or PNR or whatever all those things mean

[Marguerite53]

Hi! What I mean is, when the doctor holds a medication, there's a 3 letter thing. When he only wants a med given as needed it's another 3 letter thing. I'm really tired of asking the hospitals and doctors and wish they would just use WORDS for the general public. But NO! they expect us to know all this.

So, could I have a little list and definitions of all those abbreviations so that I can make a little card for my "blonde and cannot remember these details" wallet. I'm so blonde I couldn't even figure out how to Google it and find it on the internet!!!

Thanks!!!

Marguerite

 

[Cooker]

Marguerite53...try this site....It might help.



http://www.bioinformatics.org/textknowledge/acronym.php

 

[geebee]

Here are some common ones:

• ac (ante cibum) means "before meals"
• bid (bis in die) means "twice a day"
• gt (gutta) means "drop"
• hs (hora somni) means "at bedtime"
• od (oculus dexter) means "right eye"
• os (oculus sinister) means "left eye"
• po (per os) means "by mouth"
• pc (post cibum) means "after meals"
• prn (pro re nata) means "as needed"
• q 3 h (quaque 3 hora) means "every 3 hours"
• qd (quaque die) means "every day"
• qid (quater in die) means "4 times a day"
• Sig (signa) means "write"
• tid (ter in die) means "3 times a day"

 

[njean]

Thanks for the definitions Gina! These certainly come in handy when trying to decipher doctor's scribbling!!!

 

[Dina]

If you havent found it yet , I think you mean PRN ,which is a Latin abbrv.
for 'as needed' which means the pt. pretty much decides when they need to take it , they usually do this with pain meds.
I dont recognise OPV , but it looks familiar. I havent worked as a nurse in a
while and I graduated in '98 - long time ago.
Have a good day,

 

[lcwhitney]

PRN is an abbreviation for the Latin words that mean as needed.

Lettitia