Do-Not-Use Abbreviations in Nursing Documentation
Some abbreviations are so easily misread that they have caused serious medication errors. The Joint Commission maintains an official do-not-use list for accredited organisations, and many facilities add their own.
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The official list
- U: can be mistaken for 0, 4 or cc. Write unit.
- IU: can be mistaken for IV or 10. Write International Unit.
- Q.D., QD, q.d., qd and Q.O.D., QOD, q.o.d., qod: can be mistaken for each other. Write daily and every other day.
- Trailing zero (X.0 mg): the decimal point can be missed. Write X mg.
- Missing leading zero (.X mg): the decimal point can be missed. Write 0.X mg.
- MS, MSO4 and MgSO4: can mean morphine sulfate or magnesium sulfate. Write the full drug name.
Your facility's list
Many organisations add further abbreviations to their own lists. Check yours, and when in doubt, write the word out in full.