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Pro re nata is a Latin phrase meaning "in the circumstances" or "as the circumstance arises" (literally "for the thing born"). [1] [2] In medical terminology, it is often abbreviated PRN or P.R.N. and refers to the administration of prescribed medication as the situation calls for it.
This is a list of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions, including hospital orders (the patient-directed part of which is referred to as sig codes).This list does not include abbreviations for pharmaceuticals or drug name suffixes such as CD, CR, ER, XT (See Time release technology § List of abbreviations for those).
prn When required q Every (e.g. q2h – every two hours) qds/qid Four times a day Rx Prescription tds/tid Three times a day ung Ointment
Meaning [1] Latin (or Neo-Latin) origin [1] a.c. before meals: ante cibum a.d., ad, AD right ear auris dextra a.m., am, AM morning: ante meridiem: nocte every night Omne Nocte a.s., as, AS left ear auris sinistra a.u., au, AU both ears together or each ear aures unitas or auris uterque b.d.s, bds, BDS 2 times a day bis die sumendum b.i.d., bid, BID
Pronunciation follows convention outside the medical field, in which acronyms are generally pronounced as if they were a word (JAMA, SIDS), initialisms are generally pronounced as individual letters (DNA, SSRI), and abbreviations generally use the expansion (soln. = "solution", sup. = "superior").
Meaning R: respiration, (right) RA: refractory anemia rheumatoid arthritis right atrium room air RAD: reflex anal dilatation right axis deviation reactive airway disease radiation absorbed dose reactive attachment disorder: Rad hys: radical hysterectomy: RAE: right atrial enlargement RAI: radioactive iodine: RAIU: thyroid reactive iodine uptake ...
prn PRN: as necessary (from Latin pro re nata) (if used in chronic pain control, sometimes disparagingly termed "pain relief nil") as needed Prog: prognosis PROM: prelabor rupture of membranes partial range of motion [1] PRP: panretinal photocoagulation platelet-rich plasma progressive rubella panencephalitis: PRRE: purine-rich response element PRV
PRN pro re nata "for the thing born" As used in standard medical jargon, PRN is understood to mean "as needed". This reading of the abbreviation implies that the delivery of the prescription (by a suitable person, following a medications protocol) is done in a reactive, passive way, e.g., "when that happens, do this".