Apart from well so many use mass units, what is the logic for using mass
units, except when the molecular weight of a substance is not known or not
consistent?
There is science in our prejudices, well at least for using molar units.
Ian
Dr Ian R Bailey
Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust,UK
email: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 01689 864281
-----Original Message-----
From: Clinical biochemistry discussion list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Julian Barth
Sent: 04 December 2006 16:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Consensus statement on reporting drugs and poisons
Dear Colleagues
Thank you all for your comments about units for reporting drugs and poisons.
It seems that there is no science behind our prejudices but we have heard of
a death from Tim Reynolds which was due to a misunderstanding over which
units we are using (and indeed there are further reprots of fatalities in the
literature). We have discussed in the past that medical education is
including less and less clinical laboratory diagnostics and health care
preofessionals do not understand units of measurement. Who benefits from all
our petty squabbling over two expressions of SI units which are
interchangeable. If we don't agree to sort this one out, it will be forced
upon us and that will be a sad state of affairs for our profession.
Let me start again, can anyone express a cogent argument for not standarding
on a single system of reporting. If not, can we think about how long it will
take to educate our individual constituencies so we can plan for a change.
Yours
Julian
Julian H Barth MD FRCP FRCPath
Consultant in Chemical Pathology & Metabolic Medicine Department of Clinical
Biochemistry & Immunology Leeds General Infirmary Leeds LS1 3EX
tel 0113 392 3416
fax 0113 392 5174
Editor-in-Chief, Annals of Clinical Biochemistry,
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/acb
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community working in clinical biochemistry.
Please note, archived messages are public and can be viewed
via the internet. Views expressed are those of the individual and
they are responsible for all message content.
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