What it means
The most common unit for drug doses: 1 gram = 1,000 mg, and 1 mg = 1,000 micrograms (mcgMY-kroh-gram (said in full)Microgram: one millionth of a gram, or one thousandth of a milligram.Full entry ). Liquid drugs are often labeled in mg per mL, which tells how much drug is in each milliliter.
For the nurse
Write a zero before a decimal point (0.5 mg), never a trailing zero after one (write 5 mg, not 5.0 mg): both are Joint Commission and ISMP rules to prevent tenfold dose errors.
At a glance
| Also written | milligram, milligrams |
|---|
Related terms
mcg
Microgram: one millionth of a gram, or one thousandth of a milligram.
medication error
A preventable mistake at any step of prescribing, preparing, giving or monitoring a medicine, whether or not it causes harm.