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#80795 09/14/02 01:49 PM
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From Brewer:
Q.S Quantum sufficit. Two letters appended to prescriptions, and meaning as much as
is required to make the pills up. Thus,after giving the drugs in minute proportions, the
apothecary is told to “mix these articles in liquorice q.s”

Also used in chemistry in directions for preparing reagents, to indicate final volume.



#80796 09/15/02 12:30 AM
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...and also to indicate how many refills. "QS i year" means as many refills as wanted/needed, up to one full year from the date of writing. Some prescription plans need a three-month supply per prescription; others refuse to go beyond 30 days. I have no way of knowing the patient's policy, so QS it is...


#80797 09/15/02 04:08 AM
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It's the "health insurance" (quotes intentional) policy, not the patient's. Just thought I'd throw that in, as I'm grappling with this problem right now.


#80798 09/18/02 08:59 AM
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what are all those other Latinisms like "nocte", etc. which physicians use to show how to take drugs??


#80799 09/18/02 04:53 PM
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a c - ante cibum - before meals
b i d - bis in die - 2 times a day
b i n - bis in nocte - 2 times a night
h s - hora somni - at bedtime
I M - intramuscularly
I V - intravenously
o d - omni die - every day
o h - omni hora - every hour
o m - omni mane - every morning
o n - omni nocte - every night
p c - post cibum - after meals
P O - per os - by mouth
p r n - pro re nata - when required
q d - quaque die - every day
q h - quaque hora - every hour
q2h - every 2 hours q3h - every 3 hours, etc
q i d - quater in die - 4 times a day
q s - quantum satis - sufficient quantity
s c - subcutaneously
S L - sub linguam - under the tongue
S O S - si opus sit - if necessary (once only)
t i d - ter in die - 3 times a day
t i n - ter in nocte - 3 times a night



#80800 09/18/02 10:14 PM
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that's EXACTLY what I meant, boronia, ta muchly!


#80801 09/19/02 06:17 PM
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Does your reference give an expansion of "ut d," instruction to a pharmicist meaning "as directed"?


#80802 09/19/02 07:05 PM
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Ut D. I had a scary experience with prescription directions. The hospital had a stupid policy
of having some medications given to patients actually made in chem lab.
A private physician had written an order for a young girl to be given a vaginal douche
based on something almost as bad as corrosive sublimate. I was covering for three interns
who claimed they were ill conveniently at Xmas. I was in a hurry, and asked her if she
knew how it was to be taken. She was too bashful to discuss it, and just said yes.
The private physicians were awful touchy about interns talking to their patients, so
I just handed her the stuff. She went home and drank it. A special providence made
her vomit it and rinse quickly enough that stricture of esophagus did not develop.


#80803 09/19/02 07:05 PM
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I just looked it up in the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, which does not include the original Latin. Ut dict. (or u.d.) means 'as directed'. Oh - just saw that 'P.P.A.' means 'shake the bottle first' - who knew?


#80804 09/19/02 07:21 PM
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Dear Boronia: your shake well reminded me. When sulfa drugs first came out, a drug company
most of whose sales were in the South, where liquid medicines were preferred to tablets was
faced with problem of making a solution of sulfanilamide. A clever chemist read that it dissolved
well in a solvent that was also used as antifreeze in automobile radiators. It was very toxic.
A significant number of fatalities resulted.

I finally remembered the name of solvent: diethylene glycol.

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