Rules On Numbers: Module 3. Style Guide Review

Rules on Numbers
Module 3. Style Guide Review

Outline on Numbers
Beginning of sentence
Adjacent numbers & Nonspecific numbers
Pronouns & Proper names
Number abbreviation & symbol
Ordinals
Ages & Decade references
Date & Time
Temperature & Angles
Fractions
Units of measure
Decimals
Exponent
Roman numerals
On beginning of a sentence:
Spell out numbers that begin a sentence,
or recast the sentence.
 Fourteen days ago she started having

severe cramping. acceptable
or
 She started having severe cramping 14
days ago. better
On beginning of a sentence:
Exception:
A complete year that begins a sentence
need not be spelled out.
 2005 will mark our hospital’s 100th

anniversary.
D: 1995 was when her symptoms began.

T: Her symptoms began in 1995. better
On adjacent numbers:
When two numbers are consecutive, spell
out one of them to avoid confusion.
 The patient was instructed to drink

eight 8-ounce glasses of GoLYTELY
before bedtime.
 Discharge medication: Os-Cal 500 one
daily
 two 8-inch drains
On adjacent numbers:
Use a comma to separate adjacent
unrelated numerals if neither can be
readily expressed in words and the
sentence cannot be reworded.
 In March 2002, 2038 patients were

seen in the emergency room.
On nonspecific numbers:
Spell out indefinite numeric expressions.
 She described hundreds of symptoms.

 Several thousand people were tested.
On pronouns:
Spell out numbers used a pronouns.
 The radiologist compared the

previous x-rays with the most
recent one.
On proper names:
Use words or figures for numbers in
proper names, according to the
entity’s preference.
 20th Century Insurance

 Three Dollar Cafe
On number abbreviation & symbol:
The number abbreviation capitalizes the

initial letter and has an ending period:
No.
When the symbol # is used, the numeral
follows it with no space between.
 No. 4 blade
 #4 blade
Use the abbreviation or symbol with a

figure to indicate position or rank.
 He is No. 4 on the appointment list.

 He is #4 on the appointment list.
For models and serial numbers:

Use the symbol with Arabic numerals.
 model #4567
 serial #15588
For sizes of instruments or sutures:

Suture and instrument sizes may or may
not be dictated with the word “number.”
Transcribe as dictated.
 5-French catheter
 3-0 Vicryl
For sizes of instruments or sutures:

If the word “number” is dictated, the
the symbol is preferred over the
abbreviation.
 #5-French catheter
 #2-0 Dexon suture
For street addresses:

Do not use the abbreviation or symbol
before the number.
 3611 Branch Avenue
 No. 3611 Branch Avenue

 #3611 Branch Avenue
For suites, apartments & rooms:
Use the abbreviation or symbol when
the noun designation is not used.
 #104
 No. 104
 Apt. 104
 Apt. #104
For schools, fire companies & lodges:

Do not use the abbreviation or symbol.
 Public School 4
 Engine Company 2
On ordinals:
Ordinal numbers are used to indicate order or
position in a series rather than quantity.
These are commonly spelled out, especially
when the series is less than 10.
 third rib
 She is to return for her fifth visit in two days.
 She was in her ninth month of pregnancy.
 His return visits are scheduled on the 15th and 25th of
the month.
On ages:
Use Arabic numerals to indicate ages.
 4-year-old child
 15 years 3 months old
On ages:
Hyphenate the age when it appears
before the noun (adjective).
 The patient is a 35-year-old female.
Do not hyphenate an age that appears

after the noun.
 The patient is 35 years old.
On decade references:
Use numerals plus s to refer to
decades.
Do not use an apostrophe.
 She is in her early 20s.

 The patient has not been to a dentist
since the 90s.
On dates:
Use Arabic numerals to indicate dates.
 June 19, 1993

(month/day/year format)
 19th of June 1993

(day/month/year format)
On time:
Use numerals, separated by a colon, to
express hours and minutes, except for
midnight and noon.
 8:45 a.m.
 The patient was admitted to the
emergency department at 6:30 a.m.
 noon or midnight
 not 12 o’clock
On time:
For on-the-hour expressions, it is
preferable not to add the colon and 00.
Use whole numbers only.
 8 a.m.
 not 8:00 a.m.
 8 o’clock
 8 o’clock in the morning
 not 8:00 o’clock
On time:
Military time always takes four
numerals.
Do not separate hours from minutes
with a colon.
Do not use a.m. or p.m.
If dictated, indicate hours instead of h.
 1300 hours
 The patient was admitted at 1915.
On time:
Clock referents:
 The needle was inserted at the

4 o'clock position.
 The lesion was made from the

7:30 to 9:30 position.
On zero:
Zero is always spelled out when it stands
alone.
 The patient had zero response to the

treatment.
 Her symptoms usually appear when the
outside temperature drops below zero.
On temperature:
The degree symbol is generally used
with temperatures. However, in cases
of technological limitations, spell out
degrees.
 98.4o
 37 degrees
On temperature:
Express temperature degrees with
numerals except for zero.
 98.4o
 zero degrees
Use minus to indicate temperatures

below zero.
 minus 48 degrees
On temperature:
Insert the temperature scale name if
dictated.
 37oC or 37 degrees Celsius
 96.5oF or 96.5 degrees Fahrenheit
 minus 235.15oK or 235.15 degrees Kelvin

*To convert to Kelvin from Celsius, subtract 273.15 from the
Celsius temperature.
On angles:
In expressing angles, write out degrees
or use the degree sign.
 zero degrees range of motion
 The patient was able to straight leg raise to

40 degrees.
 Positioning the patient’s head at a 90o angle

allowed for efficient acquisition of data over a
180o arc.
On metric units of measure:
Common Metric Abbreviations
cm centimeter
dL deciliter
g gram
L liter
mEq milliequivalent
mg milligram
mL milliliter
mm millimeter
mmHg millimeter of Mercury
mmol millimole
msec, ms millisecond
Use the decimal form with metric units of
measure even when dictated as
fractions, unless they are not easily
converted.
D: four and a half millimeters

T: 4.5 mm
D: six and a third millimeters

T: 6-1/3 mm
Do not use an abbreviation with a metric
measurement if no specific numeral is
dictated.
 The scar was several centimeters in length.

On nonmetric units of measure:
Spell out common English units of
measure.
 4 pounds
 5 ounces
 14 inches
 5 feet
 3 yards
 15 miles
 5 feet 3 inches
Do not abbreviate most nonmetric units of
measure, except in tables. Use the
same abbreviation for both singular and
plural forms; do not add s.
 4 in. (only for tables)

Use the decimal form with nonmetric
forms of measure when a precise
measurement is intended and the
fraction form would be both
cumbersome and inaccurate. Two or
more places may follow the decimal.
 The 0.1816-inch screw was inserted.

Decimals vs. fractions:
Use the decimal form of numbers when
a fraction is given with an abbreviated
unit of measure or for a precise
measurement.
 4.5 mm
Use mixed fractions for approximate
measurements; these often represent
time.
 5-1/2 days or 3-3/4 hours
On decimals:
When whole numbers are dictated, do not
add a decimal point and zero.
 2 mg
not
 2.0 mg
On fractions:
Spell out fractions that are less than
one.
a half-inch incision
The glass was two-thirds full.
About a half inch below the sternal
notch…
On fractions:
Use numerals for mixed fractions.
 D: Approximately 2-1/2 hours before

the presentation, the patient slipped
and fell.
 T: He smokes 1-1/2 packs of cigarettes

per day.
On decimals:
For quantities less than 1, place a zero
before the decimal point, except when
the number could never equal 1.
 0.25 mg
 .22-caliber rifle
 .4 correlation index
On decimals:
Do not exceed two places following the
decimal except in special circumstances,
e.g., specific gravity values.
 0.624 K-wire
 specific gravity 1.030
On exponents:
Use appropriate abbreviations if
superscripting is not available.
 105 or 10 to the 5th
 5 cm2 or 5 sq cm
 8 mm3 or 8 cu mm
On Roman numerals:
There is a trend away from the use of
roman numerals and toward the use of
arabic numerals.
Roman numeral II poses a danger of

being misread as arabic numeral 11
“Avoid the use of roman numerals

except when part of established
nomenclature.”
On Roman numerals:
Rarely used
Remember STELPFCC (“stealth”).
S-tage cancer stages I through IV

T-ype diabetes mellitus, types I through IV
E-ponym e.g. Clark level II melanoma
L-imb lead EKG limb leads I through III
P-sychiatric diagnosis axes I through V
F-actor clotting factors I through XIII
C-lass cardiac failure, classes I through IV
C-ranial nerves II through XII
On Roman numerals:
Generally used for wars, people, and
animals
 World War II
 Henry Ford II
 Rover II
Exception:
C. Roy Post 4th (personal preference)

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Rules on Numbers

Module 3. Style Guide Review

 Fourteen days ago she started having

 2005 will mark our hospital’s 100th

D: 1995 was when her symptoms began.

 The patient was instructed to drink

 In March 2002, 2038 patients were

 She described hundreds of symptoms.

 The radiologist compared the

 20th Century Insurance

The number abbreviation capitalizes the

Use the abbreviation or symbol with a

 He is No. 4 on the appointment list.

For models and serial numbers:

For sizes of instruments or sutures:

For sizes of instruments or sutures:

For street addresses:

 3611 Branch Avenue

 No. 3611 Branch Avenue

For schools, fire companies & lodges:

Do not hyphenate an age that appears

 She is in her early 20s.

 June 19, 1993

 19th of June 1993

 The needle was inserted at the

 The lesion was made from the

 The patient had zero response to the

Use minus to indicate temperatures

 37oC or 37 degrees Celsius

 96.5oF or 96.5 degrees Fahrenheit

 minus 235.15oK or 235.15 degrees Kelvin

 zero degrees range of motion

 The patient was able to straight leg raise to

 Positioning the patient’s head at a 90o angle

D: four and a half millimeters

D: six and a third millimeters

 The scar was several centimeters in length.

 4 in. (only for tables)

 The 0.1816-inch screw was inserted.

 D: Approximately 2-1/2 hours before

 T: He smokes 1-1/2 packs of cigarettes

 105 or 10 to the 5th

Roman numeral II poses a danger of

“Avoid the use of roman numerals

S-tage cancer stages I through IV

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