DICOM Attribute

Patient's Weight (0010,1030)

Keyword
PatientWeight
VR
DS
VM
1

Definition

Weight of the Patient, in kilograms.

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.7.2.2.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0010,1030)
Keyword
PatientWeight
Name
Patient's Weight
Value Representation (VR)
DS
Value Multiplicity (VM)
1
Status
Active
Source
NEMA PS3.6 (table_6-1)

This attribute is part of the current DICOM Standard. Its value representation is DS with multiplicity 1.

Used in 1 Module

This attribute uses the DS Value Representation. Multiplicity 1 governs how many values may be encoded.

Integration Notes

Real-world integration guidance for engineers implementing this attribute in Mirth Connect, FHIR gateways, HL7 v2 bridges, and cloud DICOM services. Authoritative source data where available; reference examples and operational notes where they add value.

FHIR Mapping

No direct FHIR ImagingStudy mapping published for this attribute. Some tags map indirectly via the Patient, Endpoint, or ImagingSelection resources — Phase 2b will expand coverage to those.

HL7 v2 Equivalent

  • OBX (PATIENT WEIGHT loinc) Patient Weight observation site-dependent
    ORUADT

    HL7 v2 conveys patient weight as an observation (OBX with LOINC 29463-7 or similar). DICOM PatientWeight is DS in kg. Unit conversion may be required (lb ↔ kg).

    Source: common convention

Verify against IHE Radiology TF Vol 2 and your facility's interface specification before production use.

Cloud DICOM Support

  • AWS HealthImaging Preserved
  • Azure DICOM Preserved
  • Google Cloud Healthcare Preserved

Patient Weight (kg) — preserved by all three. Required for SUV calculation in PET, dose calculation in CT, and contrast-bolus protocols.

Per-vendor source URLs and verification date in src/content/dicom/cloud-support.json#_meta. Status taxonomy: required (mandated on Store), queryable (QIDO-RS matching key), preserved (stored as-is), promoted (AWS top-level metadata), unsupported (stripped/rejected).

Real-World Sample Values

  • 0.000000 CT_small.dcm
  • 80.0000 MR_small.dcm

Extracted from pydicom test fixtures (MIT, de-identified).

Mirth Connect Example

Patient Weight unit normalization (lb to kg) — DICOM PatientWeight is in kilograms

DICOM PatientWeight is in kilograms. Some HIS sources transmit pounds — apply unit conversion when sourcing from upstream HL7 v2 OBX.

// (0010,1030) Patient Weight (DS, kg) — convert from lb if HIS source flagged units
var wgtSrc = channelMap.get('hl7_obx_weight_value');     // raw OBX-5 value
var wgtUnit = channelMap.get('hl7_obx_weight_units');    // OBX-6.1 typically 'kg' or 'lb'
if (wgtSrc) {
  var w = parseFloat(wgtSrc);
  if (wgtUnit && wgtUnit.toLowerCase() === 'lb') w = w / 2.20462;
  if (!isNaN(w) && w > 0 && w < 600) {
    tmp.dataset.attr += <attr tag='00101030' vr='DS'>{w.toFixed(2)}</attr>;
  }
}

Reference only — validate before production. Snippets are starting points, not turnkey solutions. Always test against your channel's specific message structure and your facility's interface specification. See Mirth Connect User Guide + NEMA PS3.6 + your vendor conformance statement for authoritative specification.

Common Operational Errors

  • high Patient Weight in pounds when DICOM expects kg

    Diagnosis: HIS sends weight as 165 (lb) in HL7 v2 OBX. Mirth transformer copies the value into DICOM PatientWeight without unit conversion. PET SUV calculations use 165 kg → activity per kg drops 2.2x → SUV results clinically misleading.

    Fix: Always check OBX-6 (Units) before reading OBX-5 (Value). If lb: convert to kg (lb / 2.20462). Reject inconsistent weight values (<1 kg, >600 kg) entirely.

Reference only — validate before applying a fix. Scenarios are drawn from common DICOM/HL7 v2 integration patterns; reproduce against your environment before acting on any diagnosis. See NEMA PS3.6 + your vendor conformance statement for authoritative specification. Severity levels: high (data-loss / patient-safety), medium (workflow disruption), low (cosmetic).

DICOM Integration Services

Saga IT builds production DICOM integrations across Mirth Connect, FHIR gateways, and cloud imaging platforms. If you're working with PatientWeight or the broader (0010,1030) context: