Final answer:
Insulin is a drug commonly measured in units. Conversions between metric units and the clear specification of units when prescribing medication are critical to ensure proper dosing and to avoid potentially fatal errors.
Step-by-step explanation:
A drug that is measured in units is Insulin. The conversion of drug amounts from one unit to another is crucial in the medical field, for example, converting milligrams (mg) to milliequivalents (mEq), or understanding that 50 mg aspirin tablets equal 0.2 grams (g) which requires administering 4 tablets to achieve a 0.2 g dose. Similarly, comprehending metric conversions and the importance of specifying units can be critical, as exemplified by the potential confusion and danger in prescribing a drug like phenobarbital without clear units.
Here are some examples of unit abbreviations and their definitions in terms of the base unit:
- kilometer (km) - 1,000 meters (m)
- milligram (mg) - 1/1,000 of a gram (g)
- nanosecond (ns) - 1/1,000,000,000 of a second (s)
- centiliter (cL) - 1/100 of a liter (L)
Understanding these units is imperative in healthcare to prevent potentially life-threatening mistakes when administering medications.