The UK uses a mixture of imperial and metric units; only the US, Myanmar, and Liberia use imperial measures. At the same time, the rest of the world has experienced the whole metric system. Due to the globalized character of medicine and healthcare, including the majority of the same pathologies, the information on infectious illnesses, and the joint international exchange of biomedical research outcomes, the need for globally acknowledged, easily comprehended, and instantly comparable unit conversions of measurement between all nations and global commodities is of paramount importance for patient health outcomes. The units of measurement inherent in PCR testing, vaccine dosages, and PPE specifications relating to the COVID-19 pandemic had to be converted to imperial units and vice-versa. The vital communication of time-sensitive information like temperature could be significantly hampered and less accurate if converted wrong. With outcomes for the patient causing significant harm. That’s why converting f to c online has become so handy and life-saving these days.
Exact science begins when the identified patterns are translated into mathematical language, the basis of which is certain relationships or, more simply, equalities. The discovery of any relationship results from an experiment, research, or observation, during which measurements of various quantities are carried out. To compare different researchers’ results, measuring quantities in the same common unit conversions is convenient. This convenience has been recognized for a long time, which has led to the creation of different systems of units of measurement. Currently, the most common systems are the SI (old name – ISS – meter-kilogram-second) and CGS (centimeter-gram-second). Each of them has no advantages, but for a specific task, one may be more suitable than the other. Once the choice of system is made, it must be followed strictly.
Possible ways to solution the problem
In our opinion, the main principles that should be followed when choosing a system of units are convenience and internal consistency. For ease of use of the system, the chemistry unit conversions must correspond, as physicists say, to the size of the problem. From this point of view, for example, the meter, the SI unit of length, is most significant for medical purposes since the volume will have to be measured in m3. On the contrary, the second, a unit of measurement of time intervals in both SI and GHS, is usually too small (measuring cardiac output in m3/s is highly inconvenient, although measuring body surface area in m2 is quite comfortable). The situation with units of mass is more complicated.
In some cases, it is more convenient to use grams; in others – kilograms. Thus, it is convenient to refer doses of medications to kg of body weight, which has been done for a long time, and the concentration of various substances in the body – in g (or even mg) per unit volume, which has also been done for a long time. Dimensionless quantities should be presented in unit fractions and not percentages or ppm; then, in many ratios, the complicating factor of 100 or 1000 will disappear. In general, the basic unit conversions should be such that the order of magnitude in most cases is between 10‑ 3 and 103. The matter is complicated because, in many cases, quantities are measured or calculated that are traditionally and conveniently expressed in unit conversions formulas. Pressure, for example, is measured in Pa = n/m2 = (kg ∙ m/s2)/m2, energy in J = n ∙ m. Hence, a compromise has to be made between convenience and the internal consistency of the system of units. Nevertheless, consistency must remain a priority for rigorous science, so, as in other sciences, in solving different problems, it will be necessary to use different systems, each of which must be internally consistent. If two systems are needed to solve one complex problem, this must be considered using appropriate coefficients.
Conclusion
Exact science must be precise down to the smallest detail. Neglecting these little things often leads to absurdities and even incorrect results. The measuring unit conversions used in the medical sciences have long needed revision and streamlining.