Recommendations on Measurement Units – Why and How

Globally, laboratories are producing, communicating, and exchanging millions of laboratory examination values to multiple parties every day. For most values, ‘measurement units’ are required to make the numerical values comparable and meaningful. However, a non-systematic use of ‘measurement units’ can create errors in communication between health care providers and become a risk to patient safety. Therefore, the Committee of Nomenclature for Properties and Units (C-NPU) recommends using an unambiguous terminology of ‘measurement units’, for daily patient care and scientific publications. In this work, C-NPU summarizes the recommendations on ‘measurement units’, explaining the reasons and the principles of the ‘measurement units’ used in laboratory medicine.