Comments on: NHS use of kilograms http://metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/nhs-use-kilos/ Commentary on the measurement muddle in the UK Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:22:12 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Pat Naughtin http://metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/nhs-use-kilos/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Pat Naughtin Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:24:54 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/21/nhs-use-kilos/#comment-64 A year or so ago, I read a press report that suggested that about 25 000 babies die each year in the USA because of medical errors. Many of these unnecessary deaths are brought about because medicines are given in units like milligrams per kilogram of the baby's mass but the parents don't know the mass of their baby in kilograms because it was dumbed down by the hospital staff. I have been known to ask the 'down-dumbers' in the hospital, "How many babies do you think are harmed each year by your silly pounds and ounces?" Cheers, Pat Naughtin Geelong, Australia A year or so ago, I read a press report that suggested that about 25 000 babies die each year in the USA because of medical errors.

Many of these unnecessary deaths are brought about because medicines are given in units like milligrams per kilogram of the baby’s mass but the parents don’t know the mass of their baby in kilograms because it was dumbed down by the hospital staff.

I have been known to ask the ‘down-dumbers’ in the hospital, “How many babies do you think are harmed each year by your silly pounds and ounces?”

Cheers,

Pat Naughtin
Geelong, Australia

]]> By: Dave Brown http://metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/nhs-use-kilos/comment-page-1/#comment-48 Dave Brown Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:22:44 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/21/nhs-use-kilos/#comment-48 I have been present at the birth of all 4 of my children between 1996 and 2003. In all four cases (covering two different hospitals) the children were weighed in kg, but the weights converted to imperial measures before we were told. Even when I got the official weights and told friends and family, they all wanted me to convert them back to imperial again. The British public are wilfully ignorant and innumerate. I have been present at the birth of all 4 of my children between 1996 and 2003. In all four cases (covering two different hospitals) the children were weighed in kg, but the weights converted to imperial measures before we were told. Even when I got the official weights and told friends and family, they all wanted me to convert them back to imperial again. The British public are wilfully ignorant and innumerate.

]]> By: Philip S Hall http://metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/nhs-use-kilos/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Philip S Hall Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:09:09 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/21/nhs-use-kilos/#comment-22 I too think we have gone backwards. I was appalled by the experience I had at my local hospital two years ago when a nurse weighed me in kg and proceeded to convert to stones and pounds in spite of my attempt to reassure her it wasn't necessary. It got worse at the next visit when another nurse weighed me again. The same thing, she spent some time converting and then set about calculating my weight loss in pounds! It irritates me further that whenever people talk about weight gain or loss in imperial they never stop to consider it percentage terms (which is not easily worked out in stones and pounds), which is often much more significant as a guage in weight change. Indeed a GP at my local practice told me recently that high blood pressure tends to reduce by 10% for every 10% of weight loss! I too think we have gone backwards. I was appalled by the experience I had at my local hospital two years ago when a nurse weighed me in kg and proceeded to convert to stones and pounds in spite of my attempt to reassure her it wasn’t necessary.

It got worse at the next visit when another nurse weighed me again. The same thing, she spent some time converting and then set about calculating my weight loss in pounds!

It irritates me further that whenever people talk about weight gain or loss in imperial they never stop to consider it percentage terms (which is not easily worked out in stones and pounds), which is often much more significant as a guage in weight change. Indeed a GP at my local practice told me recently that high blood pressure tends to reduce by 10% for every 10% of weight loss!

]]> By: Tancred http://metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/nhs-use-kilos/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Tancred Thu, 21 Dec 2006 13:28:27 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2006/12/21/nhs-use-kilos/#comment-17 I would love to know just how the media decide what units to use. My GP is metric. My gym is metric, and when weight and fitness issues come up at my martial arts class everyone is talks in metric. Yet women's magazine seem totally unable to get beyond the "stone" when planning their front cover. In the same way every christmas we are told the most popular baby names of the year, perhaps the NHS could start issuing a yearly chart of lightest/average/heaviest baby weights for the year (in metric of course) and see what response the media gives it. I would love to know just how the media decide what units to use. My GP is metric. My gym is metric, and when weight and fitness issues come up at my martial arts class everyone is talks in metric. Yet women’s magazine seem totally unable to get beyond the “stone” when planning their front cover.

In the same way every christmas we are told the most popular baby names of the year, perhaps the NHS could start issuing a yearly chart of lightest/average/heaviest baby weights for the year (in metric of course) and see what response the media gives it.

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