The abbreviation gtt. stands for what?

• A. gram
• B. g
• C. sig.
• D. drop(s)

Answer: (D)

Understanding medical abbreviations used in dosing helps you read orders accurately. gtt stands for guttae, the Latin word meaning drops. In practice this shorthand is used when a medication is administered by drops—eye drops, ear drops, or drops delivered by a drip—often written as gtt or gtt/min for drops per minute.

Gram is a unit of weight and is abbreviated g, not gtt. sig. is short for signa, meaning the directions for use or the manner of administration, but it isn’t the same as gtt. So the only option that corresponds to a dose delivery by drops is drop(s).