In Latin medical shorthand, timing relative to meals is shown with Latin terms. ac stands for ante cibum, meaning before meals. This tells you the medication should be taken on an empty stomach, before eating, to optimize absorption or effectiveness. The counterpart post cibum (pc) means after meals. So why the other ideas don’t fit: “with meals” would use a form of cum cibum, not ac. “At meals” isn’t a standard prescription shorthand. Remember ante means before, post means after, which helps you quickly interpret timing cues in prescriptions.

Lying on the stomach is the prone position. In this position, the person lies face down with the back exposed and the head turned to one side. Supine means lying on the back, face up. Fowler’s position is a semi-upright sitting posture with the head of the bed raised, sometimes with the knees bent. Sims position is a side-lying posture, typically on the left side with one knee bent and the upper body rotated partly forward and supported. Prone is the term used specifically for stomach-down positioning, making it the correct choice.

Care of the body after death is called postmortem care. This care centers on respecting the person who has died and supporting the family during the grieving process. The CNA’s role includes preparing the body for viewing if requested, ensuring modesty and privacy, cleaning as needed, placing the body in a natural, comfortable position, adjusting facial features, placing dentures if present, and removing or securing jewelry per policy and family wishes. It also involves closing the eyes, covering the body with a shroud or sheet, and documenting the time of death and any required information per facility policy. Preparing for transport to the morgue, labeling, and following legal requirements are part of the process as well, all while maintaining dignity, cultural and religious considerations, and safety for the staff. Other terms describe different concepts: Sundowning refers to increased confusion in some people with dementia during the evening, task segmentation is a planning method for breaking work into steps, and Sims position is a specific left-side-lying posture used for certain procedures.

Nothing by mouth is what NPO means in medical practice. It’s the standard instruction used to prevent any food or drink from being taken by mouth, usually to protect the airway during anesthesia or certain procedures. The phrase Nothing by mouth is the conventional expansion of the acronym, coming from the Latin nil per os, and it directly matches how healthcare teams record and communicate the order. Other options either aren’t standard order language, are vague, or actually imply the opposite (feeding through a tube), so they don’t fit the intended meaning as well.