General
sq
What does sq mean?
Indicates a medication delivered just under the skin into subcutaneous tissue, such as insulin or heparin.
"Heparin 5000 units SQ for DVT prophylaxis."
Origin
Abbreviation of 'subcutaneous.'
Frequently asked questions
What does SQ mean for an injection?
It means subcutaneous: the medication is injected into the fatty tissue just under the skin, common for insulin and heparin.
What does SQ stand for?
It is short for subcutaneous. You may also see it written as SC, subcut, or subQ.
How is SQ different from IM?
SQ injections go into the fatty layer under the skin, while IM injections go deeper into muscle.
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