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ISMP’s List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations. (continued) Drug Name Abbreviations. Mistaken as Inderal 140 mg. Mistaken as Tegretol 1300 mg. The “m” is sometimes mistaken as a zero or two zeros, risking a. 10- to 100-fold overdose. 100000 has been mistaken as 10,000 or 1,000,000; 1000000 has been mistaken as 100,000.
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- Time and Frequency Abbreviations
- Dosage Form and Route Abbreviations
- Common Medication Abbreviations
- Measurement and Quantity Abbreviations
- Common Medical Conditions
- Medical and Lab Tests, Procedures
- Miscellaneous Abbreviations
- Overview of Abbreviations: How Are They used?
- Are Medical Abbreviations Safe to use?
- What Are The Most Common abbreviation Errors?
ā: Before (Latin: ante). Indicates that medication should be taken before something, typically a meal. For example, "medication ā breakfast" means the medication should be taken before breakfast.ac: Before meals (Latin: ante cibum). Indicates medication should be taken before a meal to ensure effectiveness or reduce side effects.achs: Before meals and at bedtime (Latin: ante cibum et hora somni). Indicates that medication should be taken before each meal and also at bedtime.bid: Twice a day (Latin: bis in die). Indicates medication should be taken twice daily at evenly spaced intervals, typically every 12 hours, for maximum therapeutic benefit.1/2 tablet: One-half tablet. Best practice: Spell out "half tablet" or use reduced font-size fractions (½ tablet).AD: Right ear. Best practice: Spell out "right ear"; may be mistaken for OD (right eye).AS: Left ear. Best practice: Spell out "left ear"; may be mistaken for OS (left eye).AU: Each ear or both ears (Latin: auris utraque). Best practice: Spell out "each ear"; may be mistaken for OU (each eye).5-ASA: 5-aminosalicylic acid. Best practice: Spell out full drug name; may be misinterpreted as “5 aspirin tablets”.APAP: Acetaminophen. Best practice: Spell out "acetaminophen"; not everyone is familiar with the abbreviation APAP.ASA: Aspirin. Best practice: Spell out "aspirin" to avoid confusion.AZT: Zidovudine. Best practice: Spell out "zidovudine"; can be mistaken for azithromycin, azathioprine, or aztreonam.cc: Cubic centimeter. Cubic centimeter is a metric measurement of volume. A cubic centimeter is also equal to one millimeter. Best practice: Use "mL" instead because "cc" can be mistaken for "u" (u...g: Gram. Gram is a metric measurement of mass.gr: Grain. An older unit for measurement equal to 0.065 grams. Best practice: Can be mistaken for gram; use the metric system.gtt, gtts: Drop, drops. A dose description often used on a prescription for eye or ear medicines. For example, “instill 2 drops into the right ear”. Best practice: Use "drop" or "drops" because “gt...CAD: Coronary artery disease. A narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Also commonly known as heart disease or atherosclerosis.DM: Diabetes mellitus. A long-term medical condition marked by persistently high blood sugar (glucose) levels, little or no insulin production from the pancreas (to help regulate blood sugar), resi...DVT: Deep vein thrombosis. A blood clot that forms in deep veins areas like the legs, thighs, hips, and arms, preventing normal blood flow. May cause pain and swelling and lead to a dangerous blood...GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease. Commonly called heartburn or acid indigestion. Symptoms may include a burning sensation and tightness in the mid-chest and digestive acids that flow backwards...C&S: Culture and sensitivity. A diagnostic laboratory test used to help identify bacteria or other pathogens in a suspected infection and appropriate antibiotics. Specimens collected can come from...CBC: Complete blood count. A common laboratory test that measures red blood cell (RBC) count (which includes hemoglobin [Hg] and hematocrit [Hct], white blood cell (WBC) count and platelets. RBCs c...CXR: Chest x-ray. A computerized imaging test that provides black and white pictures of your lungs, ribs, heart, and diaphragm.ECG/EKG: Electrocardiogram. A test that measures your heart’s electrical activity like your heart rate and rhythm to show how well it is working. It may be used to help diagnose heart diseases that...BP: Blood pressure. Denotes the amount of force your blood uses to get through your arteries to help deliver oxygen to your tissues. High blood pressure (HBP) is a common and serious medical condit...BMI: Body mass index. Body mass index (BMI) is a number determined by using a person’s weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using...CNS: Central nervous system. Consists of the brain and spinal cord nervous system tissues. Helps to receive, transmit, process, and respond to information to elicit memory, muscle function, emotion...DAW: Dispense as written. May be written on a prescription by the healthcare provider to the pharmacist. Indicates that the exact pharmaceutical product should be dispensed. There should be no subs...You may wonder why healthcare providers use medical abbreviations like "1 tab po bid" for your prescription. Abbreviations, originally derived from latin words, are used to denote prescription directions or quantities, medical conditions or other health information in your medical records. The prescription abbreviation "1 tab po bid" is interpreted...
Historically, poor penmanship and lack of standardization was the root cause of many written paper prescription errors. Today, most prescriptions are submitted via electronic prescribing (e-prescribing), electronic medical records (EMRs), and computerized physician order entry (CPOE), which has helped to lower the rates of these medical errors. Eve...
1. Drug names
Drug names may be frequently abbreviated in medicine. For example, cancer treatment protocols or combination HIV regimens may be written with shortened drug name abbreviations. Examples of possible errors include: 1. Acetaminophen (Tylenol), a common over-the-counter pain medicine, is often shortened to "APAP" by healthcare providers, although ISMP states it should be spelled out instead, as not everyone recognizes this abbreviation. 2. As reported by the FDA, a prescription with the abbrevia...
2. Confusing numbers
Numbers can lead to confusion and drug dosing errors, too. 1. As an example, a prescription for “furosemide 40 mg Q.D.” (40 mg daily) was misinterpreted as “QID” (40 mg four times a day), leading to a serious medical error. 2. Another example has to do with drug dosage units: doses in micrograms should always have the unit spelled out, because the abbreviation “µg” (micrograms) can easily be misread as “mg” (milligrams), creating a 1000-fold overdose.
3. Trailing zeros on medication orders
Numbers can also be misinterpreted with regards to decimal points. As noted in the Joint Commission's Do Not UseList, a trailing zero (for example, "5.0" mg, where the zero follows a decimal point) can be misinterpreted as “50” mg leading to a 10-fold overdose. Instead the prescriber should write “5 mg” with no trailing zero or decimal point after the number. Also, the lack of a leading zero, (for example, .9 mg) can be misread as “9” mg; instead the prescriber should use “0.9 mg” to clarify...
In the Table, error-prone abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations that are included on The Joint Commission’s “Do Not Use” list (Information Management standard IM.02.02.01) are identified with a double asterisk (**) and must be included on an organization’s “Do Not Use” list.
Table abbreviations, below were symbols, reported and to dose ISMP designations through the in ISMP (ISMP National Medication Errors Reporting Program in These harmful MERP) or potentially have been misinterpreted abbreviations, symbols, harmful and dose designations medication and involved errors. should NEVER be used when communicating medica...
May 22, 2023 · Describe the errors reported by the ISMP and Joint Commission related to inappropriate medical abbreviations. Outline methods to avoid acting on inappropriate and unclear medical abbreviations. Identify examples of potential harm that can result from inappropriate medical abbreviations.
- Rayhan A. Tariq, Sandeep Sharma
- 2023/05/22
- 2018
Aug 9, 2024 · Premature discontinuation of medications if D/C (intended to mean “discharge”) mistaken as “discontinued” on a medication list Use “discharge” and “discontinue” or “stop” OJ
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Apr 17, 2024 · Error-prone abbreviations, symbols, and dose designations that are relevant mostly in handwritten communications of medication information are highlighted with a dagger (†). Download the List. How to cite: Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations. ISMP; 2024.
