Not sure if drawings must be in metric; however I suspect that's left to each
manufacturer. The US auto industry is metric in drawings and manufacturing.
In any case, I suspect units used should be printed on ALL drawings to avoid
confusion and errors.
Stan Doore
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeremiah MacGregor
To: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 10:02 AM
Subject: [USMA:42432] Re: Is there any literature on metrication in the US
aimed at immigrants?
Stanley,
Aren't mechanical drawings suppose to use mm only? This way you don't have
to state the units.
Jerry
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: STANLEY DOORE <[email protected]>
To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 12:23:09 PM
Subject: [USMA:42394] Re: Is there any literature on metrication in the US
aimed at immigrants?
2 m = 200 cm = 2000 mm. So, measuring and recording in millimeters takes
only one more digit and avoids a decimal point and provides more precision in
whole numbers.
In digital storage systems for people measurements, using mm is more
efficient in practical applications since you are dealing only with one unit
(mm) and not m and cm. This also avoids misunderstanding/confusion and
simplifies operations.
A similar argument applies in recording mass (kg and g) for people
measurements.
Stan Doore
----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Trusten" <[email protected]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 3:58 PM
Subject: [USMA:42381] Re: Is there any literature on metrication in the US
aimed at immigrants?
>
> Gene and Pat et al.,
>
> The debate over grams and kilograms is evocative of the problem we have
with the poorly related units of ounces and pounds. Why disown the gram from
the kilogram? Aren't they "family"(grin)?
>
> I believe that all of us in a metric America---standards setters, butchers,
bakers, and healthcare professionals--should be able to deal with grams OR
kilograms, and be able to change between them by mere inspection. As I
mentioned, newborns' body masses are measured in grams, but thereafter, we tend
to mentally move that decimal point so we can calculate milligram-per-kilogram
or milligram per square meter of body surface area doses. For example, if I
happen to have to calculate a milligram-per-kilogram dose of the antibiotic
gentamicin for a newborn that weighs 2470 g, I would use the value 2.5 kg. The
power and the beauty of the decimal SI is that, with the correct symbols, and
also with the knowledge of what (or who) is being measured (i.e., generally, no
newborn weighs 2.5 g; so the number must represent kilograms). Also, in making
these dose calculations, one place beyond the decimal marker is usually
sufficient.
>
> Concerning electronic data entry and storage, I can only use my hospital's
system as an example. All body masses are stated in kilograms in the heading of
the medical record, and all heights are stated there in centimeters (I think
meters would be better, in order to facilitate body mass index and body surface
area calculation; better yet, the system should calculate and post both
values--BSA and BMI-- at the top of the record). The notation in grams for
neonates is usually found in the supporting documents, i.e., nurses' and
physicians' notes.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
> Sent: 20 January, 2009 14:21
> Subject: Re: [USMA:42373] 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]
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
