Units of Measure

A list of common units used in the reporting of our assays has been defined. Refer to the table for these units as well as the recommended report abbreviations.

Last updated: July 12, 2018

Unit of Measure Recommended Report Abbreviation
% binding % binding
% bound % bound
% conversion % conver
% excretion % excret
% Fat % fat
% hemoglobin % Hb
% hemolysis % hemol
% index % index
% inhibition % inhib
% live % live
% neg control % neg ctrl
% Normal % norm
% normal control % norm ctrl
% of normal % norm
% of total % total
% positive % pos
% ppt (percent precipitate) % ppt
% reactivity % react
% total % total
% total Cholesterol % total chol
% total Hemoglobin % total Hb
% volume % vol
/24 hours /24 h
/day /24 h
/high power field /hpf
/low power field /lpf
100 mL dL
a ratio ratio
AChR AChR
Am.U/L Am U/L
Antibody Response Unit ABR
ASA reaction units ARU
at term at term
AU/mL AU/mL
bands (chromosome tests) bands
C2H50 U/mL C2H50 U/mL
cells cells
centimeter cm
centipoises cpoise
cholesterol Chol
cm H2O cm H2O
copies copies
creatinine (not referenced in reporting title) Cr or Creat
Dalton(s) Da
UNIT OF MEASURE Approved Report Abbreviation
day(s) d
deciliter dL
degrees (angle measurements) degrees
degrees Celsius deg C
delta Gibbs or delta G DG
delta Optical Density delta OD
disintegrations per minute disintegrations/min
dose(s) dose
EIA units EIA U
Equivalent units EU
events events
Every 6 hours q6h
femtoliter fL
femtomole fmol
glomerular filtrate GF
GPL Units GPL
gram dry weight g dry wt
gram of tissue g tissue
gram(s) g
gram/100 mL g/dL
gram/210 Liters g/210 L
hemoglobin Hb
hour(s) h
hr,min h,min
IgA phospholipid units APL
Index index
international units IU
kilodalton kDa
kilogram kg
kilograms per square meter kg/m2
KU kU
Liter L
mEq/30' mEq/30 min
mg every 6hours mg q6h
micro Unit mcU
microEquivalent mcEq
microgram AHG Eq mcg AHG Eq
microgram Eq mcgEq
microgram Equivalent mcgEq
microgram N mcg N
microgram T4 mcg T4
microgram(s) mcg
microInternational Units micro IU or mcIU
microliter mcL
microliter equivalent mcLEq
micromole mcmol
microUnit mcU
milliequivalent mEq
UNIT OF MEASURE Approved Report Abbreviation
milligram mg
milliinternational units mIU
milliliter mL
milliliter of cells mL of cells
millimeter mm
millimeter H2O mm H2O
millimeter induration mm induration
millimole mmol
milliosmole mOsm
milliunits mU
minute(s) min
mL/min/1.73m2 mL/min/BSA
ml/min/SA mL/min/BSA
mL/min/Surface Area mL/min/BSA
mm Hg (millimeter Mercury) mm Hg
mole moles
Molecules/Cell Molecules/Cell
multiple of the median (MOM) MoM
multiply by 103 x10(3)
multiply by 106 x10(6)
multiply by 109 x10(9)
multiply by 1012 x10(12)
MPL MPL
nanogram ng
nanometer nm
nanomole nmol
optical density OD
P2Y12 reaction units PRU
parts per million ppm
percent %
pH pH
picogram(s) pg
picomole pmol
pounds lbs
protein Prot
ratio ratio
Red blood cells (RBC) RBC
Relative Units RU
Score of score
second(s) sec
specimen spec
Standard Deviation SD
stimulating index S.I.
surface area 1.73m(2) or BSA
thou cpm (thousand counts per minute) thou cpm
thousand thou
threshold threshold
thyroxine binding index TBI
UNIT OF MEASURE Approved Report Abbreviation
titer titer
torr torr
Total/Mechanical Tot/Mec
TSI index TSI index
unit(s) U
V/V (volume/volume) vol/vol
vial(s) vial(s)
volume % vol %
week(s) wk
Weeks,Days wk,d
White blood cells WBC
year(s) yr