Writing as an IT professional, any electronic data that is stored needs to be clearly documented. The documentation would make clear the format and the units that are used for data storage. The application would determine the accuracy needed. For example, storing weights to the nearest kilogram for life insurance purposes would be sufficient, but when storing details for medical purposes, greater accuracy would be needed. I believe that in the UK, birthweights are rounded to the nearest 10g.
>From a storage point of view, I would be happy to store weights in grams as 4 byte integers (from a professional point of view I dislike using floating numbers unless I absolutely have to). Of course, one need not enter the data to the nearest gram - that would be determined by the application. Ideally, the application would also ask for the person's height and age. For adults, it would question any BMI greater than say 50 or less than say 10. Appropriate BMI values would be chosen for children, depending on their age. For example, a newborn infant, 50 cm long and weighing 3.5 kg has a BMI of 14. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: 20 January 2009 20:22 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:42380] Re: Is there any literature on metrication in the US aimed at immigrants? Paul, Do you have contacts in the Joint Commission who might be persuaded to adopt "body mass in grams (up to 20 kg) and body mass in kilograms at 20 kg and more than 20 kilograms? Could there be an electronic data entry and storage problem for lifetime medical records containing both grams and kilograms? Gene. ---- Original message ---- >Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:46:40 -0600 >From: "Paul Trusten, R.Ph." <[email protected]> >Subject: [USMA:42373] Re: Is there any literature on metrication in the US aimed at immigrants? >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > >Gene et al, your answer. Yes, I think you're right, but they wrote: > >"Since patient weight is used to calculate most dosing (either as weight-based >dosing, body surface area calculation, or other age-appropriate dose >determination), all pediatric patients should be weighed in kilograms at the >time of admission (including outpatient and ambulatory clinics) or within four >hours of admission in an emergency situation. Kilograms should be the standard >nomenclature for weight on prescriptions, medical records and staff >communications." > > >Paul > >Quoting [email protected]: > >> >> Better: "body mass in kilograms" as in Body Mass Index (BMI). >> What is the precise quotation from the Joint Commission? >> ---- Original message ---- >> >Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:50:39 -0600 >> >From: "Paul Trusten, R.Ph." <[email protected]> >> >Subject: [USMA:42359] Re: Is there any literature on metrication in the US >> aimed at immigrants? >> >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >> >Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >> > >> >... >> > >> >Yes--in the U.S., the Joint Commission (national healthcare accrediting >> body) >> >has issued a guideline stating that all pediatric patients should be weighed >> in >> >kilograms only and their weights stated in kilograms only. (I have urged >> the JC >> >to suggest that ALL patient weights be measured and stated in kilograms only >> and >> >their heights measured and stated in meters only.) >> > >> >Paul T. >> >> > > >-- > > > >Paul Trusten, R.Ph. >Public Relations Director >U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc. >www.metric.org >3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 >Midland TX 79707-2872 US >+1(432)528-7724 >mailto:[email protected] >
