Medical Abbreviations Starting With "Q"

This page lists 35 medical abbreviations starting with "Q", each with its full form and a plain-English meaning. Where one abbreviation has more than one common meaning, each meaning has its own row — context in the chart is what tells them apart. Terms flagged ⚠ Error-prone are on recognised error-prone lists and should be written out in full. Use the filter box to narrow this list, the search on the main guide to search all 5,715 entries, or jump to another letter:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N 0–9 O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Abbreviation	Full form	What it means	Used in
Q12H	every twelve hours	At twelve-hour intervals	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
Q2H	every two hours	At two-hour intervals	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
q2h turns	turn every two hours	Repositioning schedule preventing pressure injuries	Nursing
Q4H	every four hours	At four-hour intervals	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
Q6H	every six hours	At six-hour intervals	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
Q8H	every eight hours	At eight-hour intervals	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
QA	quality assurance (program)	Systematic care quality monitoring	Nursing General Medical
QALY	quality-adjusted life year	Measure combining length and quality of life	General Medical
qAM	every morning	Frequency shorthand for daily morning dosing	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
QAM	quaque ante meridiem	Every morning	Prescription & Medication Orders
QBL	quantitative blood loss	Measured rather than estimated delivery blood loss	Obstetrics & Gynecology Nursing
qd	once daily (lowercase form)	Daily frequency in lowercase charting — error-prone	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
QD ⚠ Error-prone	quaque die	Once daily, an error-prone abbreviation to avoid	Prescription & Medication Orders
QDay	every day	Once each day, written out to avoid confusion	Prescription & Medication Orders
QFT	QuantiFERON-TB Gold	Blood test for tuberculosis infection	Laboratory Infectious Disease Respiratory
QH	quaque hora	Every hour	Prescription & Medication Orders
qhs	every night at bedtime (lowercase form)	Bedtime frequency in lowercase charting	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
QHS ⚠ Error-prone	quaque hora somni	Every night at bedtime	Prescription & Medication Orders
QI	quality improvement (project)	Structured effort improving care processes	Nursing General Medical
qid	four times a day (lowercase form)	Frequency in lowercase charting	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
QID	quater in die	Four times a day	Prescription & Medication Orders
QL	quadratus lumborum (muscle)	Deep lower back muscle	Musculoskeletal
Qmax	maximum urinary flow rate	Fastest urine flow measured during voiding	Renal & Nephrology Laboratory
QMG	Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (score)	Measured strength score — score	Neurology
qod	every other day (lowercase form)	Alternate-day frequency in lowercase charting	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
QOD ⚠ Error-prone	quaque altera die	Every other day, an error-prone abbreviation to avoid	Prescription & Medication Orders
qPM	every evening	Frequency shorthand for daily evening dosing	Prescription & Medication Orders Nursing
QPM	quaque post meridiem	Every evening	Prescription & Medication Orders
QSART	quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test	Sweat function test for small fibers	Neurology
qSOFA	quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment	Bedside score flagging sepsis risk	Emergency & Critical Care Infectious Disease
QST	quantitative sensory testing	Measured pain and temperature thresholds	Neurology
QTc	corrected QT interval	Heart recovery time on an ECG, adjusted for heart rate	Cardiology
quad sets	quadriceps sets (exercise)	Thigh tightening exercises after knee surgery	Musculoskeletal Nursing
quadrate lobe	quadrate lobe (liver)	Small front lobe of the liver	Gastroenterology
QuickDASH	shortened DASH questionnaire	Short arm function questionnaire	Musculoskeletal

Educational reference only. This guide is for learning and quick reference. Abbreviations vary between hospitals, countries and specialties, and some are discouraged because they can be misread. Always write and interpret orders using your own institution’s approved abbreviation list, and check anything unclear with the prescriber or your local policy.

Medical Abbreviations Starting With "Q"

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