Conventional (non-metric) units of measure
- 1 Expressions of concentration in nonmetric units
- 2 Expressing temperature measurements
- 3 Expressing angles as units of measure
- 4 Expressions of dimension (feet and inches)
Because the US has not fully adopted the metric system, healthcare involves a combination of metric units of measure and conventional units of measure, along with apothecary units (such as drops and drams).
General rules for nonmetric units
Spell out common nonmetric units of measure, such as ounce, pound, inch, foot, etc., to express weight, depth, distance, height, length and width, except in tables. Do not use an apostrophe or quotation marks to indicate feet or inches. Do not use other symbols (such as # instead of pounds).
Do not abbreviate most nonmetric units of measure, except in tables.
Do not use a comma or other punctuation between units of the same dimension.
The infant's birth weight is 8 pounds 3 ounces.
NOT
The infant's birth weight is 8 lbs. 3 oz.
NOT
The infant's birth weight is 8 pounds, 3 ounces.
AND NOT
The infant's birth weight is 8 lbs., 3 oz.
He is now 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds.
She will try and lose 5 pounds over the next month.
Compound modifiers and units of measure
Use a hyphen to join a number and a nonmetric unit of measure when they are used as an adjective preceding a noun.
He has a 3-inch wound proximal to the left knee.
She delivered a 7-pound 3-ounce baby boy.
Units of time
Do not abbreviate English units of time except in virgule constructions. Do not use periods with abbreviations for time used with virgule constructions.
Wiki