Okuzeka
Medicine vocabulary · Prescriptions and Medication

Orally

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈɔːrəli/adverbCommon term

In medicine, orally means: By mouth, so that a medicine is swallowed rather than injected, inhaled or put on the skin.

In Turkish: ağızdan, oral yolla

How it is used

Used when describing the route: 'given orally', 'oral antibiotics', 'switch from IV to oral'. On prescriptions the Latin abbreviation PO (per os) is common. 'Tolerating orally' means a patient can eat and drink without vomiting.

Example sentences

  1. Once she is eating and drinking, we can give the antibiotics orally.

  2. He can't take anything orally at the moment because of his swallowing problem.

Common collocations

  • take orally
  • given orally
  • oral route
  • tolerating orally
  • intravenousGiven directly into a vein, usually through a thin plastic tube called a cannula, as with fluids, antibiotics or pain relief.
  • tabletA small, solid, usually round piece of medicine that is swallowed; some have a line across them so they can be split in half.
  • nil by mouthAn instruction that a patient must not eat or drink anything, usually before surgery or some tests, or when swallowing is unsafe.
  • prescriptionA doctor's written or electronic instruction saying which medicine a patient should get, how much, how often and for how long.

More terms: Prescriptions and Medication

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.