Diet & orders

NPO (nothing by mouth)

Also written as NPO, nil per os, NBM, nil by mouth, nothing by mouth.

NPO is short for the Latin nil per os, or nothing by mouth. It is a medical order to take no food and no liquid by mouth for now.

NPO stands for the Latin phrase nil per os, which means "nothing through the mouth." In some countries the same order is written NBM, for nil by mouth. A peer-reviewed article on NPO in swallowing care describes it plainly as withholding food and fluids by mouth.

In swallowing care, that same article explains NPO is put in place with the goal of avoiding aspiration — food or drink entering the airway. Nutrition, fluids, and medicines may be provided another way while the order is in effect. NPO orders are frequently temporary and are reviewed as a person's situation changes.

NPO is an order written by a medical team, not a description of your swallowing itself. Only that team can start it, change it, or lift it. The same article notes that researchers are still working out when NPO helps most in dysphagia care, so asking your team why it was ordered and when it will next be reviewed is a reasonable and useful question.

Speech-language pathologists are often part of the discussion around eating and drinking, because swallowing, nutrition, comfort, and quality of life are all tied together. Seeing NPO on a chart tells you a decision was made about taking things by mouth. It does not tell you how long it will last or what comes next — those answers belong to the team that wrote the order.