Even those who aren't planning to go to medical school would be well-advised to be familiar with Latin-based terminology. Here are some that can come in handy when trying to decipher a prescription.
A Few Latin Medical Abbreviations and Their Meanings
- Rx: This abbreviation, on pharmacy logos everywhere, is the Roman shorthand for Recipe. Pronounced "reh-kee-peh," it's the imperative form of recipere, or "to take," as in, "Take this medication."
- When written with a line above it, c can stand for cum, or "with," another example of shorthand used in prescriptions.
- a.c.: This is short for ante cenam, "before a meal." Conversely, p.c. stands for post cenam, or "after a meal." These directions recall the abbreviations a.m. (ante meridiem, "before noon") and p.m. (post meridiem, "after noon").
- h.s.: This is short for hora somni, or "hour of sleep." For medical instructions, it means something should be done, or treatment given, at bedtime.
- bid: This stands for bis in die, or "twice in one day."
- NPO: Nil per os, or "nothing through the mouth," is an instruction that patients be treated or fed intravenously (intravenous, of course, comes from Latin for "inside the vein").
- up ad lib: short for up ad libidinem ("at pleasure"), this means that a patient is allowed to get up when he or she wishes.