PO stands for:

PO stands for:

• A. After Meals
• B. By Mouth
• C. Out of Bed
• D. Oxygen

Answer: (B)

When reading medication orders, the route of administration is key. PO stands for per os, from Latin, meaning by mouth. It indicates the medicine should be taken orally—swallowed with water unless a different oral form is specified. This is a standard shorthand used across healthcare settings to designate oral administration, distinguishing it from other routes like intravenous or sublingual. The other options describe timing or different concepts (for example, oxygen or being out of bed) and aren’t used to indicate how a medication should be taken. So, the best interpretation is By Mouth.

When reading medication orders, the route of administration is key. PO stands for per os, from Latin, meaning by mouth. It indicates the medicine should be taken orally—swallowed with water unless a different oral form is specified. This is a standard shorthand used across healthcare settings to designate oral administration, distinguishing it from other routes like intravenous or sublingual. The other options describe timing or different concepts (for example, oxygen or being out of bed) and aren’t used to indicate how a medication should be taken. So, the best interpretation is By Mouth.