Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) signed on to a statement by the Emergency Nurses Association that calls for the use of kilograms in the Emergency Department.

The announcement comes in the October issue of Pediatrics, and cites the sobering statistic that 40% of fatal medication errors can be traced to an error in dosing, with children being especially vulnerable.

The Nurses’ Statement includes the following recommendations:

– All weights should be recorded in kilograms
– All scales in the emergency department should be configured to record weight in kgs only
– Electronic medical records should only allow for weight entries in kgs.
– All patients’ weight recordings should be included in prescriptions and in all patient handoffs.

You can read the full article in AAP News here:

[To reduce errors, ED staff should weigh patients in kilograms](http://www.aappublications.org/news/2017/08/29/Kilograms082917)