Common Medical Abbreviations

Slide 1 of 6

What does ac mean?

All
After meals
None
Before meals

What does q mean?

Every
4
None
1/4

You are assigned to a new patient. The patient asks you to bring them a cup of coffee, stating, "I have one every morning, I feel terrible without it." You double check their chart and see that they are listed as NPO. You now know that:

The patient can't have anything to eat or drink
The patient can have coffee, but only if thickened to nectar thickness
The patient can have coffee, but only decaf
The patient can have coffee, but only if you ensure that they also consume 2000-3000 mL of water throughout the day

A patient is sent home with a prescription with written instructions to take the medication "bid." The patient is confused as to what this means. You should tell your patient that this means they should take their medication:

Only with food
Twice daily
Without food
Before indegestion symptoms arise

Which answer is the most accurate interpretation of "q4h c̄ food"

Every four hours with food
1/4 tablet without food
Four hours before eating
All answers are acceptable

Solution list

Question 1 What does ac mean?: Before meals
Question 2 What does q mean?: Every
Question 3 You are assigned to a new patient. The patient asks you to bring them a cup of coffee, stating, "I have one every morning, I feel terrible without it." You double check their chart and see that they are listed as NPO. You now know that:: The patient can't have anything to eat or drink
Question 4 A patient is sent home with a prescription with written instructions to take the medication "bid." The patient is confused as to what this means. You should tell your patient that this means they should take their medication:: Twice daily
Question 5 Which answer is the most accurate interpretation of "q4h c̄ food": Every four hours with food