I once flagged a bug in Epic, the big EHR system.
The system had somehow mixed up kilograms and pounds.
For example, a normal adult male weight of 150lbs would be ~68kg,
But accidentally save it without converting and get 150kg.
Convert back and it becomes 330lbs.
Suddenly our reasonably slim man becomes grossly obese.
It's not just wrong,
it's extremely dangerous.
In an emergency situations,
where morphine is commonly administered for extreme pain,
the dosage needed to relieve the pain of a 330lb man would kill a 150lb man.
Granted the responder at the patient's side would probably realize something is amiss,
but a pharmacist in another room filling an order wouldn't have the context,
and could make the error.
It's not just wrong, it's extremely dangerous. In an emergency situations, where morphine is commonly administered for extreme pain, the dosage needed to relieve the pain of a 330lb man would kill a 150lb man. Granted the responder at the patient's side would probably realize something is amiss, but a pharmacist in another room filling an order wouldn't have the context, and could make the error.