The American Shift to Medical SI Units
Authors: EDWARD J. HUTH
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1987)

Editorials1 January 1987The American Shift to Medical SI UnitsEDWARD J. HUTH, M.D.EDWARD J. HUTH, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-106-1-149 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptFor more than 2 decades, most of the medical community in the United States has stood by while the rest of the medical world, including our close neighbor Canada, moved from use of older conventional metric units to the coherent system of metric units officially titled le Système international d'Unités (International System of Units), widely known as the SI. Some SI units, such as the kilogram, were being used in American medicine, particularly in clinical research, but the most frequently reported clinical measurements—those for chemical and hematologic quantities—continued to be reported in non-SI metric units.The advantages of using SI...References Annotated Bibliography1. LUNDBERGIVERSONRADULESCU GCG. Now read this: the SI units are here [Editorial]. JAMA. 1986;225:2329-39. CrossrefGoogle Scholar2. YOUNG D. Implementation of SI units for clinical laboratory data: style specifications and conversion tables. Ann Intern Med. 1987;106:114-29. LinkGoogle Scholar3. BEELER M. SI units and the AJCP [Editorial]. Am J Clin Pathol. 1987;87:140. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. . Conversion table for SI units. Am J Clin Pathol. 1987;87:141-51. CrossrefGoogle Scholar5. YOUNG D. Implementation of SI units for clinical laboratory data: style specifications and conversion tables. In: HUTH EJ. Medical Style and Format. Philadelphia: ISI Press; 1986:288-320. Google Scholar LOWE D. A Guide to International Recommendations on Names and Symbols for Quantities and on Units of Measurement. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1975. (Available from United Nations Bookshop, New York, NY 10017.) A comprehensive tabulation of quantities, their names and symbols, and the units for their measurement, as well as the units' symbols and the conversion factors. Six annexes (appendixes) cover the SI units, non-SI units, publication style for symbols and numbers, the conversion of values in clinical chemistry, and units in radiology and radiation protection. A basic and master reference document that covers all sciences; the documents described below will be more directly useful for needs in clinical medicine. Google Scholar LIPPERTLEHMANN HH. SI Units in Medicine: An Introduction to the International System of Units with Conversion Tables and Normal Ranges. Baltimore: Urban & Schwarzenberg; 1978. A detailed review of SI, with special attention to SI units in various fields of clinical medicine and some closely related fields: audiology, biomechanics, cardiology, clinical chemistry, dietetics, electron microscopy, hematology, industrial medicine, nephrology, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pulmonary medicine and physiology, radiology, and sports medicine. Conversion tables for many analytes and other quantities. A table of factors for conversions from English units to SI units. Google Scholar MCQUEEN M. SI Units: A Practical Guide for Health Professionals. Burlington, Ontario: Simole Consultants; 1982. A review of the structure of SI and discussions of SI units for clinical chemistry, dietetics, endocrinology, hematology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacy, radiology, and some other fields. Conversion tables for many analytes. Google Scholar SCULLY R, ed. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital: normal reference laboratory values. N Engl J Med. 1986;314:39-49. (Available as a reprint for $2.50 from Normal Reference Values, New England Journal of Medicine, 1440 Main Street; Waltham, MA 02254.) Tables for chemical, endocrinologic, and hematologic analytes and other variables in blood, plasma, serum, urine, stool, gastrointestinal fluids, and cerebrospinal fluid; reference ranges in non-SI metric and SI units; volumes or other quantities needed for measurement; designations of methods; and brief notes on procedures and interpretations. MedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Professional Journals Sector Committee American National Metric Council Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByUtility of viscoelastic coagulation testing in liver surgery: a systematic reviewS.I. for DummiesMass Units or Molar Units for Drug Concentration?SI Units: Is it Pass the Mass but Hold the Mole?A Retreat from SI UnitsExperiences with Conversion to Système International UnitsDrug Therapy in the ElderlyBack to the future with SI units.The international system of units (SI) in historical perspective.The Journal of the American Dietetic Association: Shifts to SI UnitsEDWARD J. HUTH, M.D.Implementation of SI UnitsALAN S. NIES, M.D., JOSEPH GAL, Ph.D. 1 January 1987Volume 106, Issue 1Page: 149-150 Issue Published: 1 January 1987 PDF DownloadLoading ...