What is the medical abbreviation meaning directions?

Answer 1

Okay, we're getting into the good stuff here: there are multiple medical abbreviations to represent direction. For example, S or D stands for sinister and dextro, respectively, meaning left and right, respectively. Other directions are represented, not by abbreviations, but by prefixes. For example, super- and supra-stands for above or on top of. Infra- means within or inside, while sub- means under or below. Intra- means within, but usually meaning between the layers of but within.

Other terms that cover direction include lateral, ventral, dorsal, and sagittal. ventral and dorsal mean the top of and the of, respectively. for example, the ventral part of your hand is the top part where you can see your knuckles, while the dorsal part is the side where you can see your palm.

Anterior and posterior, abbreviated ant. and post., respectively, means front and back, respectively. Anterior can also be replaced with the word frontal.

Longitudinal and latitudinal terms referred to a straight line up and down or left and right, respectively. Physicians often use this term to describe a laceration or an incision.

Finally, there's the word sagittal, which refers to a view of the side, but only of a diagram, or, in the case of gross anatomy, a cut view of the body.

Answer 2

In prescriptions, the directions for use are preceded by the abbreviation "sig." But are you talking about directions or instructions?