measurement 0.5ml same as 0.50ml?

[ajfm]

my supervisor says it's different. she wants to make a clarification of order for lorazepam intensol 0.5ml to 0.50ml. is this right? i thought it's the same thing. isnt 0.5ml the same as 0.50ml???

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Tell your supervisor it should be 0.500mL, just to be clear ...

Seriously?

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

It is the same thing, but your supervisor is incorrect. If you look up approved and unapproved abbreviations, you'll also find a guideline about leading zeros and trailing zeros.

In order to reduce errors, you should include a leading zero, but not a trailing zero.

For example, the correct way to write the order would be 0.5 mL

If you write .5 mL, the decimal point can be missed, and the order can be interpreted as 5ml. There should always be a zero before the decimal point

If you write 0.50 the order may be misinterpreted as 50 mL.

So even though 0.5 and 0.50 both equal the same amount, the correct way to write the order is 0.5 mL.

[nkochrn, RN]

Seriously???

The only thing I can think of is that you are not supposed to add the 0 to the end b/c it increases the risk of error b/c it can be misread as another number. If I read this right though, it looks like she WANTS you to add a 0????

[nkochrn, RN]

Looks like Ashley beat me to it!

[Menderic]

Are you sure your supervisor isn't pulling your leg?

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

Are you sure your supervisor isn't pulling your leg?

Yeah, I was thinking something like that... I'm curious as to how this conversation went down. "Add that extra zero so we can make it is likely as possible to have a med error with a potent drug."

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Ashley PKU is absolutely right and Your supervisor needs to be aware that The Joint Commission's mandate about approved abbreviations. It should be 0.5mg. The doses 0.5 and 0.50 are the same dose just one is at a much greater chance of becomming a deadly mistake.....

http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/Official_Do%20Not%20Use_List_%206_10.pdf

[NursErin07]

Trailing zeros are a JCAHO NO NO!

[loriangel14, RN]

There are strict guidelines about how things should be written and abbreviated.We have a big poster at work about it and adding an extra zero is a no-no.

[TonyaM73, ASN, RN]

What Ashley says! It is too easy to see a 0.50mg as 50mg. BiG NONO!

[oblivionenigma]

Unless you feel like making an enemy of the doctor, have your supervisor make the clarification and let her hear the doctor yelling over that stupidity. Same thing, and in fact she is going against standard practice by using trailing 0's. I hope this is just a brain freeze on her part >.