PEDIATRICS Vol. 67 No. 3 March 1981, pp. 443
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Kilopascals

Peter H. Viles MD1

1 Departments of Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA 01605

I share Dr VanGelder's concern about the abandonment of the millimeter of mercury (Pediatrics 66:325, 1980).

I believe the definition of 1 torr is the pressure exerted by 1 mm Hg under the influence of the earth's gravity. Therefore, my blood pressure of 120/70 mm Hg in my office is also 120/70 torr. In the unlikely event that I should be doing a consultation on the surface of the moon (one fifth the earth's gravity) my blood pressure would remain 120/70 torr but would be 600/350 mm Hg.