Units and Abbreviations

Radiation measurements and laboratory values should be given in the International System of Units (SI) (resources: “SI Units in Radiation Protection and Measurements, NCRP report no. 82” [August 1985]; “Now Read This: The SI Units Are Here,” JAMA 1986;255:2329–2339). Abbreviations should be spelled out when first used in the text—for example, “cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)” —and the use of abbreviations should be kept to a minimum. In general, only standard abbreviations will be used. Laboratory slang and clinical jargon should be avoided.