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Let go of Latin!

E B Dunn¹, J J Wolfe

¹Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Little Rock 72205, USA.

Veterinary and Human Toxicology

|July 28, 2001

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Latin abbreviations in healthcare can endanger patients, despite their convenience. This study highlights risks of common medical shorthand like "Qd," advocating for plain English to improve patient safety and professional standards.

Area of Science:

Medical practice
Patient safety
Health communication

Background:

Healthcare professionals commonly use Latin abbreviations for efficiency.
The use of these abbreviations can compromise patient safety.
Some Latin abbreviations offer time-saving benefits in medical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

To illustrate the potential hazards of using Latin abbreviations in healthcare.
To highlight the risks associated with the common Latin abbreviation "Qd".
To advocate for the adoption of plain English in medical prescribing.

Main Methods:

Review of actual medication orders containing the Latin abbreviation "Qd".
Discussion of other frequently used, potentially dangerous abbreviations.

Related Experiment Videos

Analysis of the impact of shorthand on patient safety.

Main Results:

The Latin abbreviation "Qd" poses significant risks in medication orders.
Several other Latin abbreviations also present dangers to patient safety.
The convenience of abbreviations does not outweigh the potential for medical errors.

Conclusions:

The use of Latin abbreviations in healthcare is not consistently safe.
Plain English in prescribing is the safest practice.
Adopting plain English aligns with professional values and enhances patient care.