Monitoring Fluid Balance

What are 2 ways to monitor fluid balance?

What are 2 ways to monitor fluid balance?

• Weight • Intake and Output (I&O)

Weight

• Baseline weight is measured when the resident is admitted to the nursing home.

• The scale should be set at zero.

• The resident should be weighed at the same time of day wearing as few clothes as possible.

• This is one method of monitoring the patient’s fluid status

Intake= amount of fluid entering the body

IVpo (orally)

How many milliliters (ml) in an ounce?

• 1 ounce (oz) = 30 ml (cc)

As a NA, you will help record:

• Jello • Popsicle

Output=amount of fluid leaving the body

• Urine• Diarrhea• Emesis• Drainage• Sweat (perspiration)• Breathing (exhalation)

• Measurable output:

– Urine– Diarrhea– Emesis– Drainage from tubes

• Non-measurable output

– Sweat– Breathing– Wound drainage without a

tube– Person is incontinent

graduate

Output Measuring Devices

Why is monitoring weight and I&O important?

Why is monitoring weight and I&O important?

To monitor fluid balance

Dehydration

output greater than intake Symptoms include:– Poor skin turgor– Thirst– Confusion– Fatigue– Dry skin and lips– Decreased urine

output

Edema

Intake exceeds (greater than) outputSymptoms:• Swelling in legs and

feet

Fluid Balance

Special Fluid Orders

• Encourage fluids

• Restrict fluids

• Nothing by mouth (NPO).

Why might a MD write an order to

• encourage fluids?

• restrict fluids?

• nothing by mouth (NPO)?