# translating units

**URL:** <https://forum.loinc.org/t/translating-units/1020>\
**Category:** loinc-properties-and-units-of-measure\
**Created:** [April 26, 2019, 10:28am UTC](https://forum.loinc.org/t/translating-units/1020 "2019-04-26T10:28:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jlyle](https://forum.loinc.org/user_avatar/forum.loinc.org/jlyle/32/154_2.png) [@jlyle](https://forum.loinc.org/u/jlyle)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2019, 10:28am UTC](https://forum.loinc.org/t/translating-units/1020/1 "2019-04-26T10:28:48Z")

</div>

VistA reports 6690-2 Leukocytes with a variety of unit strings. Most can be confidently assumed to be be synonymous with the LOINC example unit of 10\*3/uL (K/cmm, K/UL, K/MM3, X10-3/UL, K/cu mm, 10.e3/uL, X1000/uL). Some, however, have the same dimension and magnitude, but use different magnitudes in the expression, e.g., BILL/L, 10E9/L.

In these cases, we recommend using a valid UCUM string, but preserving the source magnitudes, e.g., 10\*9/L. Is this in line with others’ practice?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pdbanning](https://forum.loinc.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9f8e36/32.png) [@pdbanning](https://forum.loinc.org/u/pdbanning)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 10:40am UTC](https://forum.loinc.org/t/translating-units/1020/2 "2019-06-02T10:40:18Z")

</div>

Hi Jay,

From the information we share at Laboratory LOINC committee, there are organizations that store original units of measure and have a separate translated UCUM stored. We’re meeting this Thursday, June 6th, and I’ll sidebar with Stan Huff from his Intermountain Health days.

Sincerely,

Pam Banning

co-chair Lab LOINC Committee

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pdbanning](https://forum.loinc.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9f8e36/32.png) [@pdbanning](https://forum.loinc.org/u/pdbanning)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 1:05pm UTC](https://forum.loinc.org/t/translating-units/1020/3 "2019-06-03T13:05:53Z")

</div>

Hi Jay,

I emailed Stan instead of waiting for the in person meeting. Here is his response:

\<span style=“color: #1f497d;”\>I have no objection to what Jay proposes, but things would work fine just using the units sent (BILL/L, 10E9/L) because, if I have done the math right, the decimal point does not change. Or to put it another way these last two examples are still exact synonyms for 10_3/uL. \</span\>\<span style=“color: #1f497d;”\>BILL/L and 10E9/L are not valid UCUM representations. The UCUM representation for billion is 10_9 , so I think the official UCUM units for billions per liter would be 10\*9/L. Stan\</span\>  
\<p class=“MsoNormal”\>\<span style=“color: #1f497d;”\> PB thinks you’re both in agreement.\</span\>\</p\>  
&nbsp;  
\<p class=“MsoNormal”\>\<span style=“color: #1f497d;”\> \</span\>\</p\>  
\<p class=“MsoNormal”\>\<span style=“color: #1f497d;”\> \</span\>\</p\>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jlyle](https://forum.loinc.org/user_avatar/forum.loinc.org/jlyle/32/154_2.png) [@jlyle](https://forum.loinc.org/u/jlyle)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 9:27am UTC](https://forum.loinc.org/t/translating-units/1020/4 "2020-06-04T09:27:44Z")

</div>

Many thanks.

I have another case.

For 2823-3 POTASSIUM, the example unit is mmol/L, and the recorded unit is MEQ/L (the equivalent UCUM being meq/L). I’m no laboratorian, and I have no idea when mmol is or is not synonymous with meq, but my assumption is that since they may differ, we use meq/L. However, it’s not entirely clear that this is a valid use of 2823-3. I can see using unit magnitudes different from the example, but not different unit dimensions. Is this a problem?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pdbanning](https://forum.loinc.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/9f8e36/32.png) [@pdbanning](https://forum.loinc.org/u/pdbanning)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 9:37am UTC](https://forum.loinc.org/t/translating-units/1020/5 "2020-06-04T09:37:57Z")

</div>

Hi Jay,

In the instance of only one element (K for potassium- from the periodic table, Na for sodium, etc) knowing the molecular weight is the equivalent weight. So for K or Na or Cl (chloride) mmol/L = mEq/L. \<span style=“display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,‘Times New Roman’,‘Bitstream Charter’,Times,serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;”\>A brief tutorial can be found at Wikipedia on equivalent weight. \</span\> This is NOT a complete formula for compounds (combinations of Sodium Chloride for example), so please don’t create a basic transformation algorithm without regard to chemical composition.

All the best,

Pam

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://forum.loinc.org/uploads/default/original/1X/dbab97ce9b2987d788a376e254fcaae249f3b672.png) [@system](https://forum.loinc.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://forum.loinc.org/t/translating-units/1020/6 "2023-06-23T15:36:42Z")

</div>