What Does Gtt Mean?

Medical jargon is riddled with abbreviations, many of which are universally understood and some of which are very specialized. Yes, I’m looking at you, ophthalmology and ob/gyn. 😛

A common abbreviation I’ve seen in the perioperative world is “gtt.” This shorthand is used for continuous medication drips like propofol gtt, fentanyl gtt, milrinone gtt, etc.

“Gtt” is an abbreviation for “gutta”, the Latin word for “drop”. Similarly, gtts = guttae (plural) = drops. As in… the patient is on norepinephrine and insulin gtts en route to the intensive care unit. Unfortunately, I’ve seen “ggt” written instead of “gtt” as well. GGT is an enzyme (gamma-glutamyl transferase) found in all organs but most often associated with hepatobiliary damage. Knowing the Latin word has two ‘t’s might help us remember the correct abbreviation. 🙂

Instead of the three letter Latin abbreviation “gtt”, I exhaust myself by writing the four letter English word “drip.” And if I’m feeling particularly sophisticated, I might even write “infusion.” 😉

On that note, I think it sounds way cooler to say “adrenaline drip” than “epi gtt.” 😀