Paul, Please try to persuade your hospital to reword the protocol by substitution of "body mass" for "weight"; as used in "body mass index" which is coming into wide usage, and to define BMI as originally created; body mass in kg divided by height squared (height in meters).
Gene. ---- Original message ---- >Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:18:42 -0600 >From: "Paul Trusten, R.Ph." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [USMA:40073] metric units in healthcare >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > >Martin and everyone: > >At my hospital, our delivery protocol states that the baby's length and weight >shall be recorded in both traditional and metric units. Even today, in 2008, >U.S. healthcare professionals let customary units stand in medical records. >Besides being unscientific, this is downright dangerous, and I am constantly >pushing to eliminate non-metric units from hospital use. It's an uphill battle, >and we may not see a change in this perception until a nationally publicized >"sentinel event" involving measurement units occurs. In other words, someone >has to be an American "metric martyr" before things really change. > >BTW, the medication error involving Dennis Quaid's children involved product >labeling, not metric vs. customary. > >Paul > >Quoting Martin Vlietstra <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> Steve, >> >> >> >> If you consulted the hospital's records, you would find the baby's weight >> recorded in grams. Pounds and ounces are just for granny's benefit - the >> mother need not really worry how heavy her baby is as all the real figures >> are in official records where they can only be accessed by qualified medical >> staff. Furthermore, anybody who describes the baby's weight in imperial >> units is clearly not properly trained and cannot be taken seriously. >> >> >> >> This hypocrisy is the same sort of hypocrisy as was portrayed in "Yes >> Minister" when Bernard asked "Minister - is that another of our irregular >> verbs - 'I have a confidential briefing, you have a discreet leak, he gets >> done under the Official Secrets Act?'" >> >> >> >> For the benefit of US readers, "Yes Minister" was a highly successful TV >> sitcom produced by the BBC which portrayed the dealings between the >> Government Minister and his principal civil servants. (See >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes_Minister for more information). It has >> been suggested that much of the material used in that program was based on >> fact, so there is a reasonable likelihood that the phrase used above was >> actually used somewhere in Government. (See the section headed >> "Inspirations" in the Wikipedia article). >> >> >> >> _____ >> >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf >> Of Stephen Humphreys >> Sent: 15 January 2008 10:27 >> To: U.S. Metric Association >> Subject: [USMA:40056] Re: Hostile reactions to "speaking metric". >> >> >> >> My brother's girlfriend had their first child in November. His (the baby, >> not my brother!!) weight was expressed in lb and oz although I would have >> thought that if they had asked for it they could have been told the metric >> values too. >> >> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > To: [email protected] >> > Subject: [USMA:40049] Re: Hostile reactions to "speaking metric". >> > Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:59:13 +0000 >> > >> > The norm in the UK is for the medical records to be kept in metric units, >> > but for some reason weights seem to be published in imperial units. My own >> > children are now in their early 20's, but what I recall is that when they >> > were born, I was given their weights in metric units. I don't know if >> > things have regressed since then. >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf >> > Of Michael Palumbo >> > Sent: 14 January 2008 17:14 >> > To: U.S. Metric Association >> > Subject: [USMA:40047] Re: Hostile reactions to "speaking metric". >> > >> > Paul, >> > >> > A valid theory, absolutely. Once Megan apologised for yelling, I asked >> > her whether or not it had anything to do with the fact that it was a >> > baby. Her curt response was, "No, I don't care that it's a baby, you >> > just sound like a d**k." >> > >> > And there you have it. I'm more inclined to believe that because she >> > can't translate from wombat to metric, that she thinks I'm insulting her >> > intelligence or belittling her, hence her aggressive, brash reaction. >> > >> > Cheers, >> > -Mike >> > >> > Paul Trusten wrote: >> > > Michael, >> > > >> > > I think Megan reacted to your metricating a /baby. /If you had >> > > metricated a purchase of kumquats or the area to be occupied by some >> > > new linoleum tiles, I don't think she would reacted as viciously. I >> > > understand that, even in some metric countries, babies are WOMBATs at >> > > birth. Somehow, people think the humanity of birth is taken away when >> > > the child's units of mass/weight are stated in SI. When it comes to >> > > the celebration of a new baby, pounds and ounces seem to be >> > > appropriately warm and fuzzy, while kilograms and grams seem to be >> > > madly scientific, or, controlled substance contraband (/Flying into >> > > Los Angeleez, bringing in a couple of keys/) . >> > > >> > > Thank you for posting this. It is a very important issue in our quest >> > > for U.S. metrication. I try to be prepared for reactions like this, >> > > but the ugly head of metrophobia surfaces so quickly upon mention of >> > > metric in the U.S. that I surely do have to be bit prepared when I >> > > make a metric remark. When I do it, I often am made to feel as if I am >> > > one of the African American students who first sat at the Woolworth's >> > > lunch counter down south in 1960. >> > > >> > > I would that metric is as simple as our decimal dollars and >> > > cents---or, would Megan like to return to the pounds, shillings, and >> > > pence of our colonial days? Your goal with encounters like this is to >> > > appear to explain this as a matter of fact, and not as a lecture, so >> > > the recipient will feel, "Gee, where I have I been? Do my friends know >> > > this?" >> > > >> > > Although we in the U.S. do use the metric system,we don't use it often >> > > enough, and the result is that we /mis/understand it, not /fail /to >> > > understand it. The solution to misunderstanding is education. That's >> > > why USMA supports the teaching of the metric system exclusively >> > > (i.e., no more teaching inch-pound units) in America's schools. If >> > > Congress says metric is preferred for commerce, it should be preferred >> > > for learning as well. >> > > >> > > >> > > Paul >> > > >> > > >> > > Michael Palumbo wrote: >> > >> Has anyone else had something like this happen to them? >> > >> >> > >> Last week, my coworker's wife had a child, and we did the "guess the >> > >> gender and weight" contest that we always do in our office. >> > >> >> > >> I guessed an even 3000 grams, and was the closest; the baby was 2981 >> > >> grams. I had to translate the numbers for a few people, but no one >> > >> really minded that I submitted my answer in metric. >> > >> >> > >> Last night, I was recalling this story to my friend Megan while in >> > >> the car, and her reaction to it was *this* shy of violent. She began >> > >> screaming at me, telling me how much of a (insert various four >> > >> letters words here) I am for using a system that no one else >> > >> understands. Her basic points were, if I ascertained them correctly >> > >> in between her ranting: >> > >> - "No one" understands the metric system, therefore it's off-putting >> > >> for me to use it. >> > >> - It's "extremely rude" to speak in a manner that people don't >> > >> understand. >> > >> - It's "moronic" and stinks of me just trying to "be different and >> > >> weird for the sake of being different and weird". >> > >> >> > >> I told her that I wasn't going to listen to her insult me, dropped >> > >> her at her house, and left. >> > >> >> > >> I cannot, for the life of me, understand that type of reaction. My >> > >> office-mates, even when they don't directly understand it, have a >> > >> pretty good idea of what I'm talking about. Rather than try to learn >> > >> something new, Megan's reaction is what I fear may be typical of many >> > >> people in this country. Either you act like everyone else, or you'll >> > >> be branded a nut-case. Never mind that most of the world uses this >> > >> system, never mind that the foreigners in this country use it, never >> > >> mind that the doctor who delivered the baby used it, *I* am not >> > >> supposed to because it makes her think, and she can't handle that. >> > >> >> > >> Regards, >> > >> -Mike >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > > >> > > -- >> > > Paul Trusten, R.Ph. >> > > Acting Secretary >> > > The Pharmacy Alliance >> > > Midland TX 79707-2872 USA >> > > +1(432)528-7724 >> > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePharmacyAlliance >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >> >> _____ >> >> Everything in one place. All new Windows >> <http://www.windowslive.co.uk/get-live> Live! >> >> > > >-- >Paul Trusten, R.Ph. >Public Relations Director >U.S. Metric Association, Inc. >Phone +1(432)528-7724 >www.metric.org >3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 >Midland TX 79707-2872 USA >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >http://oleapothecary.blog.com >
