qh

Medical abbreviation · Prescription

qh stands for Quaque hora (every hour), a prescription abbreviation.

Hourly interval used mainly for monitoring orders such as neurological checks, vital signs or urine output in critically ill patients, and occasionally for medications like intensive eye drops.

Example: Neuro checks qh x 24 hours after tPA, then q2h.

Usage notes

Also written q1h or q.h. ISMP lists two look-alikes that have been misread as qh: "qn" (nightly) and, in the other direction, "qhs" read as "qhr". Spelling out "every hour" or "hourly" is safest in medication orders.

Related abbreviations

More prescription abbreviations

• q6h – Every 6 hours
• q72h – Every 72 hours
• q8h – Every 8 hours
• qAM – Every morning
• QD – Quaque die (every day, once daily)
• qds – Quater die sumendum (to be taken four times a day)
• QHS – Quaque hora somni (every night at bedtime)
• QID – Quater in die (four times a day)
• qn – Quaque nocte (every night)
• QOD – Quaque altera die (every other day)
• qPM – Every evening
• qty – Quantity

See all 77 prescription abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.