In the metric system, a microgram (µg or sometimes ug) is a unit of mass equal to 1/1,000,000 of a gram (1 × 10–6), or 1/1000 of a milligram. It is one of the smallest units of mass (or weight) commonly used. The abbreviation µg conforms to the International System of Units and is often used in scientific literature, but the United States-based JCAHO recommends that hospitals do not use this abbreviation in handwritten orders due to the risk that the symbol µ is misread as the prefix m, resulting in a thousandfold overdose. The abbreviation mcg is recommended instead.[1]
See also
References
- ^ "New joint commission "Do not use" list: abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols". AAPM&R. http://www.aapmr.org/hpl/pracguide/jcahosymbols.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-30.
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