MT Drug Names & Dosage Notation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an error-prone abbreviation that should NOT be used in medical transcription per ISMP guidelines?
- mg
- mL
- mcg
- μg (Correct answer)
Correct answer: μg
The symbol μg (microgram) can be misread as mg, so 'mcg' is the preferred safe abbreviation.
Question 2: A medication order reads 'warfarin 2.5 mg PO qHS.' What does 'qHS' indicate?
- Every hour
- Every other day
- Every bedtime (hora somni) (Correct answer)
- Four times daily
Correct answer: Every bedtime (hora somni)
qHS (quaque hora somni) means at bedtime, a common timing directive for anticoagulants.
Question 3: When transcribing 'Zofran 4 mg IV PRN nausea,' 'PRN' stands for:
- Per routine need
- Pro re nata — as needed (Correct answer)
- Prior to routine nursing
- Per registered nurse order
Correct answer: Pro re nata — as needed
PRN (pro re nata) is a Latin term meaning 'as needed,' indicating the drug is given only when required.
Question 4: The physician dictates 'atenolol 25 milligrams by mouth every day.' How should the frequency be transcribed?
- q.d.
- q24h
- daily (Correct answer)
- o.d.
Correct answer: daily
ISMP and JCAHO recommend writing 'daily' rather than 'q.d.' to avoid confusion with 'q.i.d.' (four times daily).
Question 5: Which route abbreviation should be transcribed in full to avoid potential patient harm?
- PO (by mouth)
- IV (intravenous)
- SC or SQ (subcutaneous) (Correct answer)
- SL (sublingual)
Correct answer: SC or SQ (subcutaneous)
SC/SQ can be misread as '5Q' or other characters; ISMP recommends spelling out 'subcutaneous.'
Question 6: A transcriptionist encounters 'NPH insulin 30 units sub-Q at bedtime.' What does 'NPH' stand for in insulin nomenclature?
- Neutral Protamine Hagedorn (Correct answer)
- Non-peak hypoglycemic
- Normalized protamine hybrid
- Neutral pH hemostatic
Correct answer: Neutral Protamine Hagedorn
NPH (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn) is an intermediate-acting insulin suspension, and understanding drug name origins aids accurate transcription.
Question 7: In the medication notation 'levothyroxine 0.1 mg,' why is the leading zero used before the decimal?
- It indicates the drug requires refrigeration
- It prevents misreading '.1' as '1' (tenfold error) (Correct answer)
- It signifies the brand name dose
- It is required only for controlled substances
Correct answer: It prevents misreading '.1' as '1' (tenfold error)
A leading zero before a decimal point (0.1) prevents the decimal from being missed, which could result in a tenfold dosing error.
MT Drug Names & Dosage Notation 3
Which of the following is an error-prone abbreviation that should NOT be used in medical transcription per ISMP guidelines?