Medical Abbreviations

 

Abbreviations	Latin Name	English Meaning
aa, āā, ĀĀ	ana	of each
AAA		apply to affected area
a.c.	ante cibum	before meals
a.c.h.s., ac&hs	ante cibum et hora somni	before meals and at bedtime
a.d.	auris dextra	right ear
ad., add.	adde addatur	add let there be added
ad lib.	ad libitum	Latin, "at one's pleasure"; as much as one desires; freely
admov.	admove admoveatur	apply [or] add add; let there be added
ad us.	ad usum	according to custom
æq.	æquales	equal
agit.	agita	agitate (stir or shake)
alt. d., alt. dieb.	alternis diebus	every other day; on alternate days
alt. h., alt. hor.	alternis horis	every other hour; at alternate hours
a.m.	ante meridiem	morning, before noon
amp.	ampulla	ampule (ampul, ampoule)
amt		amount
aq.	aqua	water
aq. bull.	aqua bulliens	boiling water
aq. com.	aqua communis	common water
aq. dest.	aqua destillata	distilled water
aq. ferv.	aqua fervens	hot water
a.l., a.s.	auris laeva, auris sinistra	left ear
ATC		around the clock
a.u.	auris utraque	both ears
BDS, b.d.s.	bis die sumendum	twice daily
bib.	bibe	drink
bis	bis	twice
b.i.d., b.d.	bis in die	twice daily
bis ind.	bis indies	twice a day
bis in 7 d.	bis in septem diebus	twice a week
BM		bowel movement
BNF		British National Formulary
bol.	bolus	as a large single dose (usually intravenously)
BP, Ph.Br.	Pharmacopoeia Britannica	British Pharmacopoeia
BS		blood sugar
BSA		body surface area
b.t.		bedtime
bucc.	bucca	buccal (inside cheek)