prn

whenever there is a need

qam

Every morning, every AM

qh

every hour

Q4h

every 4 hours

QID, qid

4 times per day

STAT, stat

give immediately

TID, tid

3 times a day

ID

Inter dermal :Injection into the dermis just under the epidermis

SC, SQ, sub q

Subcutaneous: Injection into tissues just below the dermis of the skin

IM

Intramuscular: Injection into a muscle

IV

Intravenous : Injection into a vein

Physicians and specially educated nurses administer intrathecal medications through a catheter surgically placed in the subarachnoid space or one of the ventricles of the brain. Intrathecal medication administration often is a long-term treatment.

Intrathecal.

This method of medication administration involves the infusion of medication directly into the bone marrow. It is used most commonly in infants and toddlers who have poor access to their intravascular space or when an emergency arises and IV access is impossible.

Intraosseous

Epidural medications are administered in the epidural space via a catheter, which is placed by a nurse anesthetist or an anesthesiologist. This route is used for the administration of regional analgesia for surgical procedures. Nurses who have advanced education in the epidural route can administer medications by continuous infusion or a bolus dose.

Epidural

Medications administered into the peritoneal cavity are absorbed into the circulation. Chemotherapeutic agents, insulin, and antibiotics are administered in this fashion.

Intraperitoneal

A syringe and needle or a chest tube is used to administer intrapleural medications directly into the pleural space. Chemotherapeutic agents are the most common medications administered via this method. Physicians also instill medications that help resolve persistent pleural effusion to promote adhesion between the visceral and parietal pleura. This is called pleurodesis.

Intrapleural

Intraarterial medications are administered directly into the arteries. Intraarterial infusions are common in patients who have arterial clots and receive clot-dissolving agents. A nurse manages 616a continuous infusion of the clot-dissolving agent and carefully monitors the integrity of the infusion to prevent inadvertent disconnection of the system and subsequent bleeding.

Other methods of medication administration that are usually limited to physician administration are intracardiac, an injection of a medication directly into cardiac tissue, and intraarticular, an injection of a medication into a joint.

Intraarterial

TO

telephone order

VO

verbal order

OD

right eye

OS

left eye

OU

each eye

AD

right ear

AS

left ear

AU

each ear

BT

bedtime

HS

half strength

IU

international unit

OD

once daily

Per os

by mouth, orally (The “os” can be mistaken as “left eye” (OS—oculus sinister)

QD

every day

qhs

nightly at bedtime (The “os” can be mistaken as “left eye” (OS—oculus sinister)

TIW or tiw

3 times a week (Mistaken as “3 times a day” or “twice in a week”)

×3d

For three days - Mistaken as “3 doses”

order is carried out until the health care provider cancels it by another order or a prescribed number of days elapse.

standing order

Sometimes the health care provider orders a medication to be given only when a patient requires it.

prn order

Sometimes a health care provider orders a medication to be given once at a specified time

Single (One-Time) Orders

order signifies that a single dose of a medication is to be given immediately and only once

STAT orders

more specific than a 1-time order and is used when a patient needs a medication quickly but not right away. nurse has up to 90 minutes to administer the medication

Now Orders