Which option defines the abbreviation PO?

Which option defines the abbreviation PO?

• A. Oral
• B. By mouth (oral)
• C. PO
• D. Per os (by mouth)

Answer: (D)

PO comes from the Latin phrase per os, which means by mouth. That exact expansion is what the abbreviation represents, so the option "Per os (by mouth)" is the precise definition. Other choices describe the route in plain language, or just restate the abbreviation, but they don’t provide the actual Latin expansion that PO stands for. In practice, PO signals that a medication should be taken by mouth, aligning with other routes like IV or IM but expressing the specific method of administration through the Latin term.

PO comes from the Latin phrase per os, which means by mouth. That exact expansion is what the abbreviation represents, so the option "Per os (by mouth)" is the precise definition. Other choices describe the route in plain language, or just restate the abbreviation, but they don’t provide the actual Latin expansion that PO stands for. In practice, PO signals that a medication should be taken by mouth, aligning with other routes like IV or IM but expressing the specific method of administration through the Latin term.