TAC

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

TAC
Stands forTacrolimus
Meanings2
CategoriesMedical

TAC has two meanings. It stands for Tacrolimus (drug) or Tetracaine, adrenaline and cocaine (drug).

Meanings of TAC at a glance

#TAC stands forContext
1TacrolimusMedical › Drug
2Tetracaine, adrenaline and cocaineMedical › Drug

1. Tacrolimus

Medical · Drug Abbreviations

Calcineurin inhibitor that is the main maintenance immunosuppressant after most kidney, liver and heart transplants. It is also used as an ointment (Protopic) for eczema. Transplant teams commonly write "tac" in notes and lab orders.

Example: Tac level 12.4, goal 8-10; decrease to 3 mg BID.

Tacrolimus was discovered in 1984 in a soil bacterium from Japan's Mount Tsukuba and approved in the US in 1994. Narrow therapeutic range, many CYP3A4 interactions and different once-daily and twice-daily products mean levels are checked often. ISMP lists "TAC" as error-prone because the same letters are used for triamcinolone, an anesthetic mixture and a chemotherapy regimen.

2. Tetracaine, adrenaline and cocaine

Medical · Drug Abbreviations

Topical anesthetic solution once widely applied to children's lacerations before suturing, numbing the wound without needle injections. It has largely been replaced by LET (lidocaine, epinephrine, tetracaine) because of cocaine's toxicity, cost and controlled-substance status.

Example: Old ED protocol: TAC-soaked gauze applied to scalp laceration for 20 minutes.

ISMP lists "TAC" as error-prone because the letters can also mean triamcinolone or tacrolimus or a chemotherapy regimen. Cocaine absorption through mucous membranes caused seizures and deaths in children, so TAC was never used on mucous membranes or near the eyes. LET gel is as effective and cheaper.

More drug abbreviations

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  • SOF – Sofosbuvir
  • SPS – Sodium polystyrene sulfonate
  • SSKI – Saturated solution of potassium iodide
  • SSZ – Sulfasalazine
  • T3 – Tylenol with Codeine No. 3
  • TAF – Tenofovir alafenamide
  • TDF – Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate
  • THC – Tetrahydrocannabinol
  • TIG – Tetanus immune globulin
  • TMP-SMX – Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
  • TNK – Tenecteplase

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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.