In medical terms, the letter "C" with a line over it means "with," according to Taber's Online. Abbreviations are commonly used to communicate medical information in prescriptions and patient charts.
While medical abbreviations are useful for saving time and space, they sometimes cause confusion and may compromise patient safety, according to Clinical Correlations. Abbreviations not written clearly and those misinterpreted may result in errors in the administration of medication.
A common error stems from misuse of the abbreviation "QOD," which means "every other day," notes ConsumerMedSafety.org. This abbreviation is sometimes misinterpreted as "QD," meaning, "every day," or "QID," meaning "four times daily."
