mg%

English

Etymology

From mg +‎ %.

Symbol

mg%

1. Symbol for a unit of concentration, indicating the mass (in milligrams) of a substance in 100 milliliters of solution (typically alcohol in blood).

   Synonym: mg / dL

   10 mg% indicates 10 milligrams per 100 millilitres, or 0.1 g/L.

   • 1959, G. C. Drew, M.A., W. P. Colquhoun, M.A., Ph., Hazel A. Long, B.Sc, “The Relation between Blood Alcohol Level and Behaviour”, in Effect of small doses of alcohol on a skill resembling driving‎^[1], page 7:

     At blood alcohol concentrations of 75-125 mg%, 50 per cent of the experimental group and only 18 per cent of the hospital group were judged to be intoxicated.

Usage notes

The literal meaning of "mg%" is "milligrams divided by 100", which results in a unit of mass, not concentration. This discrepancy has caused many publications to instead use SI units such as mg/dL.

References

• Taber's Medical Dictionary - symbols