[USMA:24487] Re: non-metric units on medicine

[kilopascal]

2003-01-18   I agree.  I only see over-the-counter cough medicine in floozies still.  Aspirin tablets were once 325 mg (5 grain), but at least Bayer and Anacin have upped the dosage to at least 400 mg.  And with that change, the grains are no longer stated.   I think the only people who still use grains are the people who are into guns.  They measure their gun powder in grains.  I don't know if they actually have a grain scale, or a gram scale and just convert.   The children's hospital use of SI may be do to the higher liability involved with children.  Children have a greater chance of dying and the hospital being sued from mis-dosages then with adults.  I just wonder if they actually weigh the kids in kilograms or weigh them in pounds and convert.  If they do the latter, they are still at risk of error.   John   ----- Original Message ----- From: John Woelflein To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Saturday, 2003-01-18 09:29 Subject: [USMA:24485] Re: non-metric units on medicine I'm not sure, but I haven't seen grains for a long time (bottles of aspirin, so many grains per tablet). Most are grams or milligrams now. Also, millilitres seem to be making headway in the liquid medications, i.e. the dosage says to take 5 ml instead of a teaspoon. Most medicine droppers are marked in ml only now. When my daughter was in the hospital a month ago for spinal fusion surgery, everything was metric (although they said "cc" instead of ml or cm3. Her mass was recorded in kilograms, temperature in degrees Celsius, and so on. (This was at Children's Hospital in Boston.)  Terry Simpson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Is it true that medicines in the US can have non-metric units on them such as 'grains'? -- Terry Simpson Human Factors Consultant [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.connected-systems.com Phone: +44 7850 511794 John Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now