What is QHS Medical Abbreviation ?

Abbreviations are important everywhere, no matter wherever you engage in. For example, imagine us telling the television or refrigerator every time instead of simply telling the TV or fridge. However, these are very simple everyday examples. Not all abbreviations might be so simple. So, some might take more time and labor to get at than you can think of. Similarly, in medical sciences, abbreviations are very common. So, the most common example of this would be we tell OT and not the operation theater or we say he is admitted in the ICU ward and not in the intensive care unit. Hence, you see, using this jargon or full forms is not very feasible in our everyday lives.

However, most medical abbreviations come to the scene of drugs and prescriptions. So, QHS Medical Abbreviation is one such. Hence, in the ensuing sections, we will see what it means and know more about it.

So, while OT or ICU is something we understand at once, we cannot understand all medical abbreviations. When it comes to drugs, even the drugs themselves are named in abbreviations by the companies. This makes sense because you do not want to say, I have acidity, let me have some pantoprazole. So, you would rather go to the drug store and ask for a pan-40 or pan-D. However, it might so happen that after a doctor’s visit, you can make out nothing from the prescription. Therefore, you have to take it to the drug store for the pharmacist to decipher it for you. There you will find jargon like the QHS medical abbreviation which the druggist will understand. However, it is not difficult to learn it on your own. So, you would not have to run to the drug store every time you visit the doctor.

QHS medical abbreviation meaning

Therefore, before we go any further, let us see what this QHS medical abbreviation means. It means every bedtime. So, there are high chances that you will find this next to a drug- might be a tablet or capsule or syrup. Therefore, you have to consume this particular drug every night right before you go to bed. However, the QHS medical abbreviation can have other implications than just for drugs. For example, if you are suffering from a bad cold, you might need to inhale steam every night before going to bed. So, the doctor would write the term here when he writes of inhaling steam. However, there is no denying that using such terms might often confuse the patient who is generally unaware.

Therefore, the JCAHO has suggested doctors write (nightly) bedtime in full for better understanding. (JCAHO stands for Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations). However, conventions remotely change that way and the QHS medical abbreviation is still very much in use amongst doctors. So, it is always better to know. Moreover, it can be used in combination with other short forms. So, we will see more of that in the ensuing few sections.

QHS medical abbreviation Latin

So, we all know that most of our sciences had Greek and Roman origins. This is very evident in the range of Greek letters that we still use in every science- be it math or biology or physics or chemistry. Similarly, there are a lot of Latin traces as well for it was once the language of the intellectuals. So, in medical sciences also, there are a lot of Latin words that we abbreviate. Hence, QHS medical abbreviation is one such. It comes from the Latin word quaque hora somni. So, this literally means every bedtime. However, the reason that JCAHO wanted doctors to write every bedtime in full is as there is another short-form qh. Moreover, qh which stands for quaque hora means something totally different. So, it means every hour.

Therefore, just imagine if you consume that you should take every night every hour, the drastic effects that it will have. It is hence very dangerous if you misread such abbreviations. Therefore, it is mandatory that you learn to read these correctly step by step to avoid any dire consequences.

QHS medical abbreviation pharmacy

So, the QHS medical abbreviation is basically for drugs. Therefore, it is something that is linked with the pharmacy rather than with the doctor’s chamber. So, QHS means every bedtime in pharmaceutical studies. This is why every druggist would know and if you are ever unsure they would help you out. Moreover, the QHS medical abbreviation is important to understand the dosage. So, you will buy the amount of the drug accordingly from the pharmacy. The quantities you need of a drug depend largely on its dosage. Moreover, this particularly becomes important when the drug in question is costly because you cannot just waste money like that.

PO QHS medical abbreviation

So, we already know that the QHS medical abbreviation stands for every bedtime. Therefore, now let us check what PO means because this PO is definitely not your post office. Well, PO is another abbreviation of a Latin term- per os. So, this means by mouth or orally. Therefore if the doctor has written po qhs on the prescription alongside a drug, it means you have to take the drug orally just before you go to bed every night.

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Let us see an example. So, consider that you have high cholesterol. The drug that your doctor has asked you to take is Zocor 10 mg. However, just beside it, he has written Sig: i po qhs. Therefore, this means that you have to take one pill by mouth before going to sleep at night. Moreover, the doctor would specify the times you need to repeat this process. Therefore, you would know how many nights you have to consume the tablet. Hence, you come to know the number of tablets that you might need to consume to complete the dose. Moreover, the doctor might also mention the total amount of tablets but that might not always be the case.

OS QHS medical abbreviation

So, yes, another Latin word! OS is another short form for a Latin word. Therefore, this time it is oculus sinister. Now, we all know that oculus is something like an eye. Moreover, we even use it in our everyday lives. So, oculus sinister means the left eye. Therefore, you can obviously understand that the QHS medical abbreviation along with OS must mean something for the eye. OS is a common term in general ophthalmologic or optometric usage. Moreover, if you have a prescription for eyeglasses, you are bound to find it. Therefore, os qhs might mean some eye drops that you have to drop on your left eye every night before you go to sleep. Moreover, there is no chance of it being anything but a drop or a balm because remember you are directly applying it to the eye. So, it cannot be a tablet or a syrup.

However, in medical sciences, there is another meaning of os. So, it might mean overall survival. Therefore, this is the length of time starting from the date of either the diagnosis or treatment of some dire disease like cancer till the patient is alive. So, it is common usage in clinical trials. Os is a measure of checking how effective a new medication might be. However, when it finds a place beside the QHS medical abbreviation, there is almost no chance that it would mean overall survival. Therefore, do not be confused under such circumstances.

QHS Medical Abbreviation

PRN QHS medical abbreviation

Well so let us first see what prn means. Hence, as we can already guess, it is the short form for another Latin word. This time the word is pro re nata. So, this literally translates as when the occasion arises or is when necessary. Therefore, in the case of drugs, it means that the medication has no particular schedule. You have to simply take it whenever you feel it is necessary to as per your health. It is not a regular drug. However, you might be a little confused if you find it next to the QHS medical abbreviation. This is because qhs means every bedtime which is definitely a schedule. So what does this mean? This means you do not have to take the particular drug regularly. However, when you take the dosage, make sure you take it every night before going to bed.

So, let us take an example. Consider you are having fever and bodily pain. So you have to take some drug, let us say Calpol. If the doctor has written prn qhs, it means you have to take it once every night but only when you have a fever. So, it is obvious that you will not be taking it when you do not have a fever.

Note: the above example is just a random example. This can never be a proper medical dosage in case you catch a fever.

QHS Medical Abbreviation

SQ QHS medical abbreviation

So, SQ or Sub-Q stands for subcutaneous tissue. Therefore, as we already know the subcutaneous tissue is the fatty tissue that rests right under the skin. It gives padding to the skin. However, when you find it in a prescription, you know the doctor is referring to an injection. Moreover, this injection has to be given in this fatty or subcutaneous tissue under the skin. So, if SQ appears beside the QHS medical abbreviation, it means you have to take the dose of an injection before you go to bed every night. However, you cannot do this alone. Someone must help you.

Moreover, the maximum usage this combination finds is in the case of diabetes mellitus patients. If you have high blood sugar beyond a certain level, drugs do not work. So, in that case, you have to take insulin injections. Therefore, qs qhs in this case would mean one dose of insulin injection before you go to sleep every night to control your blood sugar levels.

QHS Medical Abbreviation

PV QHS medical abbreviation

PV is another short form for a Latin word. Though there are a lot of meanings for PV in medical sciences, nursing or pharmacology, we will stick to one. So, here we are considering per vaginum which might be the most probable one if you find it on your prescription. Therefore, this means the vaginal route of application. So, whatever the medication is, you need to apply it up through your vagina. Therefore, there is a high chance the drug here in question is some kind of lotion or cream. Moreover, you find it next to the QHS medical abbreviation, the most probable explanation is you need to apply it once every night before you go to bed.

So, PV might also mean polycythemia vera which is a bone marrow disease or pharmacovigilance. However, we are not going into all those details because we do not particularly need them.

QHS Medical Abbreviation

QHS medical abbreviation vs HS

So, HS might be the short form of the Latin word hora somni. Therefore this means at bedtime. So, it is not scheduled like the QHS medical abbreviation. However, there might be another implication of HS. It might also mean half-strength. So, this means you do not take the entire tablet of a particular strength but take half. Therefore, if this appears with qhs, it makes perfect sense. You are to take half the tablet every night to complete the dosage.

Therefore, the basic difference is that qhs means every bedtime and hs means bedtime. Now depending on the context, it might mean the same thing. If you have to take a drug for 30 days, both will mean the same thing. However, let us say, you have to take a drug for a period of 30 days but once every week, or once every 3 days. So, in this case, you are not consuming it every night. Therefore, you cannot use the QHS medical abbreviation here. HS makes a lot more sense here because it means you have to take the drug and that is all.

QHS medical abbreviation FAQs

Does QHS mean daily?

Ans. Well, not exactly. QHS medical abbreviation means every bedtime. So, technically you are consuming the drug daily but you have a more scheduled time. You cannot just take it whenever you like during the day.

How often is QHS?

Ans. The QHS medical abbreviation stands for a dosage daily at bedtime.

What does QHS mean in ophthalmology?

Ans. QHS means the same in ophthalmology as in every other case. So, the ophthalmologist means that you have to consume the drug- drop or tablet every night before you go to bed. Check out the OS QHS medical abbreviation section of this article to know more about this in detail.

What is the abbreviation for bedtime?

Ans. Well, both qhs and hs might mean for bedtime in a prescription. While qhs means every bedtime, hs just means at bedtime. However, for more detail, check out the QHS medical abbreviation vs HS section of the article to know more about this in detail.

What does stat mean in medical terms?

Ans. So, stat is the short form for the Latin word statim. Therefore, this means immediately. So, the doctors use it when you have to start taking some medication or treatment immediately, as soon as you can. This might mean the case is acute.

What does QID mean?

Ans. So, QID is another short-form we see in drug administration. Therefore, this means you have to take the particular medication four times a day.

What does TDS mean in prescription?

Ans. Now, TDS is again the short form of another Latin word ter die sumendum. So, this means you have to take the particular drug three times a day.

What is the meaning of ODAC in prescription?

Ans. So, this means you have to take a single dose once a day before a meal for 2 days. You can often find it on your prescription for tablets mostly.

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