Measurement Units Reference Tables

Medication Dosage Forms

The following units are used to standardize different medication delivery methods within the system.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Tablet	Tablet	Tablets	Solid oral medication
Capsule	Capsule	Capsules	Medication in gelatin capsule
Drop	Drop	Drops	Liquid medication administered in drops
Inhaler	Inhaler	Inhalers	Medication delivered via inhalation device
Syringe	Syringe	Syringes	Used to inject or draw up medications
IV Bag	IV Bag	IV Bags	Intravenous fluid containers
Patch	Patch	Patches	Transdermal medication delivery
Suppository	Suppository	Suppositories	Medication inserted rectally
Ampoule	Ampoule	Ampoules	Single-use glass container for injectable medication
Spray	Spray	Sprays	Medication applied as mist or spray
Sachet	Sachet	Sachets	Powder medication in single-use packet
Lozenge	Lozenge	Lozenges	Medication that dissolves in mouth
Pessary	Pessary	Pessaries	Medication inserted vaginally
Nebule	Nebule	Nebules	Single-dose container for nebulizer medication
Cartridge	Cartridge	Cartridges	Pre-filled medication container for pens/devices

Weight & Mass Units

The following units are used for measuring medication potency, dosage mass, and patient body weight.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Milligram	mg	mg	Unit of mass for small medication doses
Microgram	mcg	mcg	Very small dosage unit for potent medications
Gram	g	g	Weight measurement for powders or solids
Kilogram	kg	kg	Standard unit for patient body weight
Ounce	oz	oz	Weight measurement for certain fluids and solids
Pound	lb	lb	Imperial unit for patient weight
International Unit	IU	IU	Standardized biological measurement for vitamins and hormones

Length & Height Units

The following units are used for documenting patient physical characteristics, sizing, and specific clinical measurements.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Millimeter	mm	mm	Small length measurement used for precision
Centimeter	cm	cm	Standard unit for height and body measurements
Meter	m	m	Used for longer distance or space measurements
Inch	in	in	Imperial length measurement
Foot	ft	ft	Imperial height measurement

Volume & Fluid Units

These units are used for documenting liquid medications, intravenous (IV) fluids, and clinical irrigation solutions.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Milliliter	mL	mL	Standard volume measurement for liquid medications
Liter	L	L	Volume measurement for larger fluids (IV, irrigation)
Cubic Centimeter	cc	cc	Equivalent to mL, used frequently for injectables
Teaspoon	tsp	tsp	Small household volume measurement
Tablespoon	tbsp	tbsp	Larger household volume measurement
Fluid Ounce	fl oz	fl oz	Imperial fluid volume
Pint	pt	pt	Larger fluid volume measurement
Cup	cup	cups	Household/clinical volume measurement
Gallon	gal	gal	Large volume for storage or bulk solutions

Temperature Units

These units are used for documenting patient body temperature and monitoring clinical environmental conditions.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Degree Celsius	°C	°C	Standard medical temperature scale used globally
Degree Fahrenheit	°F	°F	Alternative temperature scale commonly used in specific regions

Vital Signs Units

These units are used to document essential physiological data and ensure patient monitoring accuracy.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Millimeters of Mercury	mmHg	mmHg	Measurement for blood pressure (Systolic/Diastolic)
Beats Per Minute	bpm	bpm	Standard measurement for heart and pulse rate
Respirations Per Minute	rpm	rpm	Measurement for breathing frequency
Percent Oxygen Saturation	%SpO2	%SpO2	Measurement of blood oxygen levels
Milliliters Per Hour	mL/h	mL/h	Rate measurement for IV fluid and medication infusion

Laboratory & Diagnostic Units

These units are used for documenting laboratory test results, blood counts, and metabolic concentrations.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Milligrams per Deciliter	mg/dL	mg/dL	Common for blood glucose and cholesterol measurements
Millimoles per Liter	mmol/L	mmol/L	International standard for glucose and electrolytes
Grams per Deciliter	g/dL	g/dL	Used for hemoglobin concentration
Cells per Microliter	cells/µL	cells/µL	Measurement for White Blood Cell (WBC) count
Million per Microliter	million/µL	million/µL	Measurement for Red Blood Cell (RBC) count
Thousand per Microliter	thousand/µL	thousand/µL	Standard measurement for platelet count
Milliequivalent	mEq	mEq	Standard unit for electrolyte measurement
International Units per Liter	IU/L	IU/L	Used for enzyme and hormone levels
Nanograms per Milliliter	ng/mL	ng/mL	Concentration measurement for hormones and drugs
Picograms per Milliliter	pg/mL	pg/mL	Used for very low concentration measurements

Energy & Nutrition Units

These units are used for tracking dietary intake, calculating nutritional requirements, and monitoring patient energy expenditure.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Kilojoule	kJ	kJ	International standard for energy measurement
Calorie	Cal	Cal	Standard energy measurement for food and metabolism
Gram Protein	g protein	g protein	Measurement of protein macronutrient content
Gram Carbohydrate	g carb	g carbs	Measurement of carbohydrate macronutrient content
Gram Fat	g fat	g fat	Measurement of fat macronutrient content

Supplies & Packaging Units

These units are used for inventory management and documenting the distribution of clinical supplies and consumables.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Piece	Piece	Pieces	Individual countable items (e.g., swabs, bandages)
Bag	Bag	Bags	Unit for medical supplies or waste containment
Bottle	Bottle	Bottles	Container for liquid medications or cleaning supplies
Tube	Tube	Tubes	Specifically for cream, gel, or paste containers
Pack	Pack	Packs	Pre-packaged consumable items
Box	Box	Boxes	Bulk storage or multiple packaged units
Roll	Roll	Rolls	Continuous material like dressing, gauze, or tape
Sheet	Sheet	Sheets	Single layer material (e.g., sterile drapes)
Pair	Pair	Pairs	Matching items such as surgical gloves or compression socks
Set	Set	Sets	A complete collection or kit of related items

Chemistry & Concentration Units

These units are used for documenting chemical solutions, specialized laboratory preparations, and precise concentration measurements.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Percent	%	%	Concentration percentage (e.g., weight/volume or volume/volume)
Parts Per Million	ppm	ppm	Measurement for very dilute concentrations
Molar	M	M	Molar concentration (moles of solute per liter of solution)
Millimolar	mM	mM	Millimolar concentration (one-thousandth of a molar)
Micromolar	µM	µM	Micromolar concentration (one-millionth of a molar)

Time & Frequency Units

These units are used for scheduling medication administration, tracking duration of symptoms, and defining treatment cycles.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Second	sec	sec	Very short time interval for clinical observations
Minute	min	min	Standard unit for medication timing and procedures
Hour	hr	hrs	Extended timing for infusions or monitoring
Day	day	days	Unit for daily administration schedules
Week	wk	wks	Used for weekly treatment or follow-up cycles
Month	mo	mos	Used for monthly administration or long-term tracking
Year	yr	yrs	Unit for annual measurements and patient history
Times Per Day	x/day	x/day	Specific frequency for daily medication doses
As Needed	PRN	PRN	Latin pro re nata; administration based on necessity

Specialized Medical Units

These units are used for specialized diagnostics, radiation therapy, and equipment sizing to ensure clinical precision.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Diopter	D	D	Lens refractive power measurement
Hertz	Hz	Hz	Frequency measurement for pulses or equipment
Decibel	dB	dB	Sound intensity measurement for audiology
Gray	Gy	Gy	Absorbed radiation dose
Sievert	Sv	Sv	Radiation dose equivalent (biological effect)
Metabolic Equivalent	MET	METs	Unit for exercise intensity and oxygen uptake
Milliliter per Kilogram	mL/kg	mL/kg	Fluid dosage based on patient weight
Milligram per Kilogram	mg/kg	mg/kg	Medication dosage based on patient weight
Drops per Minute	gtt/min	gtt/min	Manual IV drip rate calculation
French	Fr	Fr	Sizing for catheters and medical tubing
Gauge	G	G	Measurement of needle thickness/diameter

Administrative & Billing Units

These units are used for scheduling, clinical billing, and tracking patient encounters across different departments.

Unit Name	Singular	Plural	Description
Visit	Visit	Visits	Standard patient encounter
Session	Session	Sessions	Used for therapy or recurring treatment sessions
Procedure	Procedure	Procedures	Specific medical or surgical procedure
Test	Test	Tests	Individual diagnostic test
Consultation	Consultation	Consultations	Specialist review or advisory meeting
Admission	Admission	Admissions	Hospital or inpatient admission
Day Stay	Day Stay	Day Stays	Day patient care without overnight stay
Emergency Visit	ER Visit	ER Visits	Emergency department encounter