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The word number may be abbreviated No. in the body of tables and line art or in the text when used as a specific designator. Do not use the number sign (#) in place of the abbreviation. The word number should always be spelled out when it is used as a proper noun (eg, “Social Security number”).When referring to numbers of individuals in a study in tables, figures, and within parentheses the abbreviation N is used when referring to the entire sample; n refers to a subsample. (See also , Study Design and Statistics, Glossary of Statistical Terms.)Patients were enrolled ...Less

Spell out numbers for generally accepted usage, such as idiomatic expressions. One frequently appears in running text without referring to a quantity per se and may appear awkward if expressed as a numeral. When one may be replaced by a or a single without changing the meaning, the word one rather than the numeral is usually appropriate. Other numbers, most often zero, two, and large rounded numbers, also may be written as words in circumstances in which use of the numeral would place an unintended emphasis on a precise quantity or would be confusing.Any one of the 12 individuals might ...Less

Use words for any number that begins a sentence, title, subtitle, or heading. However, it may be better to reword the sentence so that it does not begin with a number.Three hundred twenty-eight men and 126 women were included in the study. Better: The study population comprised 328 men and 126 women.  Participants: Seventy-two thousand three hundred thirty-seven postmenopausal women aged 34 to 77 years. Better: Participants: A total of 72 337 postmenopausal women aged 34 to 77 years.  Three patients were identified; 2 had hypertension and 1 had diabetes.Numerals may be used in sentences that begin with a specific ...Less

Use a combination of numerals and words to express rounded large numbers and consecutive numerical expressions.Rounded large numbers, such as those starting with million, should be expressed with numerals and words.The disease affects 5 million to 6 million people. [Note that the word million is repeated to avoid ambiguity.]The word million signifies the quantity 106, while billion signifies the quantity 109. Although billion has traditionally signified 1012 (1 million million) in Britain, many British medical journals now use billion to indicate the quantity 109. A number may be expressed in million rather than billion if the latter term could create ...Less

Common fractions are expressed with hyphenated words, whether the fraction is used as an adjective or a noun. Mixed fractions are typically expressed in numerals (see , Use of Numerals, Mixed Fractions).Of those attending, nearly three-fourths were members of the association. There was a half-second delay before the concert hall was illuminated. We require a two-thirds majority for consensus.In some cases, fractions can be expressed with an indefinite article preceding the denominator. Such constructions do not use the hyphen.The test concluded after half an hour.A quarter may be used in place of one-fourth.A quarter of the consensus panel dissented. ...Less

When 2 numbers appear consecutively in a sentence, either reword the sentence or spell out 1 of the numbers for clarity.Study participants were provided twenty 5-mL syringes. Avoid: In the cohort of 1500, 690 were men.Better: In the cohort of fifteen hundred, 690 were men.Or: In the cohort, 690 of the 1500 individuals were men. The envelope contained 3 copies of the manuscript and one 3.5-in diskette.However, numerals may be listed consecutively if they refer to items in an array. As always, clarity and common sense should guide usage.The life expectancy of groups 1, 2, and 3 was 69, 83, ...Less

The decimal form should be used when a fraction is given with an abbreviated unit of measure (eg, 0.5 g, 2.7 mm) to reflect the precision of the measurement (eg, 38.0 kg should not be rounded to 38 kg if the scale was accurate to tenths of a kilogram). (See also , Units of Measure, Use of Numerals With Units, Decimal Format.)The patient was receiving gentamicin sulfate, 3.5 mg/kg, every 8 hours. Her serum gentamicin level reached a peak of 5.8 μg/mL and a trough of 0.7 μg/mL after the third dose.Place a zero before the decimal point in numbers less than 1, ...Less

Indicate a short series of enumerated items by numerals run in and enclosed within parentheses in the text (see also , Punctuation, Parentheses and Brackets).The testing format focused on 6 aspects: (1) alertness and concentration, (2) language, (3) naming, (4) calculations, (5) construction, and (6) memory.For long or complex enumerations, indented numbers followed by a period, without parentheses, may be used.In response to other issues: 1. The study was conducted under 2 protocols that prespecified that the data would be pooled for the analyses.2. A particular regression procedure (model selection stepdown) was applied individually for clinical outcomes.3. The relative risk ...Less

The decimal form should be used when a fraction is given with an abbreviated unit of measure (eg, 0.5 g, 2.7 mm) to reflect the precision of the measurement (eg, 38.0 kg should not be rounded to 38 kg if the scale was accurate to tenths of a kilogram). (See also , Units of Measure, Use of Numerals With Units, Decimal Format.)The patient was receiving gentamicin sulfate, 3.5 mg/kg, every 8 hours. Her serum gentamicin level reached a peak of 5.8 μg/mL and a trough of 0.7 μg/mL after the third dose.Place a zero before the decimal point in numbers less than 1, ...Less

For sums of money, use the appropriate symbol to indicate the type of currency (eg, $, €, £; see also , Units of Measure, Conventional Units and SI Units in JAMA and the Archives Journals, Currency).His charge for the medication was $55.60 plus $0.95 for shipping. The equivalent sum in euros was €30. ...Less