Rick

interesting.  I assume S1 is SI.  A very good starting point.  I did not get
a spreadsheet of proposed conversions.  Some observations.

I note in SI column we have Sec, s and secs all meaning second, my
understanding is that "s" is
the SI abbreviation for second.  Is % really SI?  In your SI column you have
u appearing to mean micro the abbreviation in SI for micro is greek letter mu
(µ) .  Hour is not SI as far as I know, it should be 3600 s.
Why do we still have to persist with "level" meaning what?  I also note that
SI unit for plasma ethanol is mg/L but urine ethanol is mg/dL.  I note your
10^9/L entries in the SI column.
You have urine free noradrenaline level with SI unit of nmol/24hrs and urine
free adrenaline level SI units nmol/d. Surely both would be nmol/L? (cf urine
5 oh indole acetic acid level)  ESR is measured over one hour so its actual
dimension is length only?

Some errors are I suspect truncation (e.g. mosm/k)
Is "biochemical test" measured in hours safer than something measured in
nmol/d?
Lupus circulating anticoagulant index to have SI units of ratio   - ratio to
what?

Using document LSR_MeasurementUnitRepresentation.doc (a CfH reference
document for PMIP, and I cannot find a more up to date version)) one finds
10*6 means a million, and I know x10^9/L causes errors on governance checking
and there are no entries with ^.  I can understand why someone might use **
to mean raise to power, * certainly does not.


Over 2 years ago I raised issues around why mc is abbreviation for micro for
prescribing, µ (mu) is the official SI abbreviation but for laboratory
reporting we were using u.
The person within NPfIT (now CfH) I spoke to was going to sort it out to
standardise as mc.  (and u is used to mean unified mass unit, although I
believe this is not SI)

For per 24 hours, I tend to use /d as this is in
LSR_MeasurementUnitRepresentation.doc.

Yes labs should know this data/anomalies have been noted, but we must do much
more to sort out units.
(pick lists on pathology supplier systems?)

I will either raise at National Advisory Group (NAG) meeting next week, or at
least discuss how to take forward.


I will be at NAG as both Representing RCPath and Central Consultants and
Specialists Committee (BMA).
 
I also agree with Jonathan sorting units will not be the only thing to
consider if we want to graph or tabulate data, but we do need to get units
sorted out.

Regards and best wishes

Ian
 


CfH = NHS connecting for Health 
PMIP=Pathology Messaging Results to GPs

-----Original Message-----
From: IT working group of the Association of Clinical Biochemists
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Jones [Pathology]
Sent: 09 October 2007 21:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Conversion units - PMIP

TPP (and I assume other GP suppliers) are now receiving data from multiple
labs with a mixed range of units. Though they store the original unit when
they display tables or graphs they have a need to convert to a common base
unit.
 
They have set up the following conversions. I would be grateful if anyone
with a little time could check these for me and comment on whether you think
they are valid. see spreadsheet.
 
Incidentally they have also noticed a number of labs sending messages with
'inappropriate' units and other message content. I have contacted CfH (at a
very high level) to try to get their help desk to resolve it without any
reply - clearly the potential safety issue is not recognised / understood.
 
How do you think we should proceed? 
 
I have attached an anonymised list (at least only with lab ID codes). Should
I share the uncoded version?
 
My feeling is that CfH should be picking this up and following through to the
labs.
 
Comments welcome.
 
Rick
 
 
 
 
Dr Rick Jones
Assoc Clin Director, Yorks and Humber SHA NPfIT Sen Lect, Yorkshire Centre
Health Informatics, Univ of Leeds [log in to unmask]
http://www.ychi.leeds.ac.uk <http://www.ychi.leeds.ac.uk/>
http://elipse.redirectme.net <http://elipse.redirectme.net/>
http://www.pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk <http://www.pathology.leedsth.nhs.uk/>
0113 343 4961
 
LEGAL DISCLAIMER

This electronic message is from Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust and it may contain confidential and privileged information. If 
you are not the intended recipient any disclosure, copying, retransmission, distribution, dissemination, action taken or 
omitted to be taken in reliance upon this email is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this email
in error, please accept our apologies and notify the sender.

Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender specifies and with authority
 to be the views of Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust.