± Conversion Factors in Medicine Conversion factors are ratios used to convert a

Question

± Conversion Factors in Medicine

Conversion factors are ratios used to convert a quantity expressed in certain units to an equivalent value expressed in different units. The numerical display of the information may change; however, the amount being considered does not. For example, the equations below use conversion factors to display the same amount of time three different ways.

2 hours × 60 minuteshour120 minutes × 60 secondsminute==120 minutes7200 seconds

Notice how the magnitude of the value and the units both change. Thus, the same amount of time is being expressed in three different units of measure. The following table displays prefixes used for SI units:

You can use these relationships to create equalities and conversion factors. Determining conversion factors from factors of 10, such as the ones provided in the table above, can be done by subtracting the factor of 10 of the smaller prefix from the factor of 10 of the larger prefix and applying that many zeroes to the value of the smaller unit. For example, to determine how many centimeters (cm, prefix c – 102) are in 1 kilometer (km, prefix k – 103):

(factor of 10 for the larger prefix) - (factor of 10 for the smaller prefix) = 3 (2) = 5

The answer, 5, gives you the amount of zeroes to add after the 1 of the smaller unit. Thus, 1 km = 100,000 cm.

When using conversion factors to change what units a measurement or quantity is displayed in, follow these steps:

Identify which units need to be changed.

For each unit that requires changing, determine if it is in the numerator or denominator.

For units requiring changing in the numerator, multiply them by a conversion factor that places the original unit in the denominator.

For units requiring changing in the denominator, multiply them by a conversion factor that places the original unit in the numerator.

Part A

The results of a 40-year-old patient’s blood work are presented below. Determine whether each reading is either stable or unstable based on the normal ranges provided in the table below.

List below either stable or unstable.

1. total protein reading of
69.0 mg/mL

2. sodium reading of
1.36×102 mol/dL

3. glucose reading of 8.79×106 kg/L

4. phosphorus reading of 4.30 imes 10^{-3} ~ m g/L

5. chloride reading of 10.10 imes 10^{-3} ~ m mmol/mL

Stable Unstable

Factor Name Symbol 106 mega M 103 kilo k 102 hecta h 101 deka da 101 deci d 102 centi c 103 milli m 106 micro

Explanation / Answer

1. total protein reading = 69.0 mg /mL = 69.0 * 10-3 g / 10-2 dL = 6.9 g/dL                Stable

mg to g (-3 - 0 = -3)         mL to dL = (-3 - (-1) = -2)

2. sodium reading = 1.36 * 10-2 mol/dL = 1.36 * 10-2 * 103 mmol / 10-1 L = 136 mmol/L      Stable

3. glucose reading = 8.79 * 10-6 kg/L = 8.79 * 10-6 * 106 mg / 10 dL = 0.879             UnStable

4.phosphorous = 4.3* 10-3 g/L = 4.3 * 10-3 * 103 mg / 10 dL = 0.43 mg/dL                UnStable

5. chloride = 10.1 * 10-3 mmol/mL = 10.1 *10-3 mmol/ 10-3 L = 10.1 mmol/L             UnStable

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