Sig code: route

IM medical abbreviation

IM means "intramuscular".

Each meaning matched at least two public references (6 in all for IM), checked October 23, 2026. The table lists them.

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What IM means

Example

Sample order text: "give IM in the deltoid."

A made-up line that shows the abbreviation in place. It is not about any patient and is not an instruction.

Related abbreviations

  • IVintravenous
  • SUBQsubcutaneous
  • IDintradermal
  • POby mouth
  • NPOnothing by mouth
  • ODright eye; once daily

Elsewhere on Rivvi

Questions

What does IM mean in medical terms?

IM means "intramuscular".

Where is IM used?

IM shows up in prescriptions and medication labels. Its category here is sig code: route.

Is IM on the Joint Commission Do Not Use list?

No. IM is not on the Joint Commission Do Not Use list or the ISMP error-prone list as checked on October 23, 2026.

Source: MedlinePlus Appendix B: Some Common Abbreviations (NLM); NCI Thesaurus, including CDISC SDTM terminology (NCI EVS); NLM SPECIALIST Lexicon abbreviations file (LRABR); FDA Acronyms and Abbreviations; HL7 Terminology (GTSAbbreviation, TimingEvent, RouteOfAdministration, orderableDrugForm); Army Regulation 40-66, Appendix B: Authorized Medical Records Abbreviations. Data as of October 23, 2026. Last updated October 23, 2026. How we source data. Spotted an error? Send a correction.

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