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AMA Manual of Style Committee

Contents

Abbreviating Number

Chapter:
Numbers and Percentages
Author(s):

Stephen J. Lurie,

Margaret A. Winker

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”).

Drug

Placebo

No. of participants

49

48

A No. 10 catheter was placed in the femoral artery.

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 20.9, Study Design and Statistics, Glossary of Statistical Terms.)

Patients were enrolled at each study site (N = 2758) and randomized to intervention (n = 1378) or placebo (n = 1380).