1 patient weight needs to be recorded and monitored during hospitalisation for 1 accurate drug dosing. Observation of medical status. Establish a height and weight baseline level for future comparison. Bed scales are easy to use and suitable for most patients. 15 the care quality commission now has documentation of weight for hospitalised patients as one of its quality indicators for assessing hospitals. The primary purpose for measuring a patients height and weight at the time of admission for abdominal pain and a history of congestive heart failure is to.
Several important decisions in the treatment of critically ill patients such as tidal volume settings drug dosing and calculation of nutritional goals rely on accurate measurement of heightobesity which is determined by body mass index is an important predictor of mortality in. Help evaluate the patients nutritional status and. Measuring and recording patient weight at admission to hospital is necessary as part of the initial nutritional assessment and is a recognised recommendation in many national guidelines in the majority of healthcare systems globally. Best c shepherd e 2020 accurate measurement of weight and height 1. The solutions available for weighing patients on admission are bed scales hoist weighing scales and pit mounted scales. The health care team will also be able to monitor weight loss or gain.
What are the solutions for weighing patients on admission to hospital. Zero the scales before the client steps onto them. Taking the patients height and weight may indicate that the patient is overweight underweight or is retaining fluids edema. A bed can be rolled onto the bed weighing scales pads the m 950 is a good example. Part 2 will describe the procedure for measuring height and explain how weight and height are used to calculate body mass index. The patients height and weight are recorded on admission for several reasons.
Evaluate the effect of obesity on the patients life. For these patients body surface area may be used to calculate medication doses. To ensure you take reliable measurements using body weight scales you must. Ask the client to remove any heavy items from their pockets keys wallets etc and remove any heavy items of clothing or apparel big jackets shoes woollen jerseys etc. The patients ideal weight may be determined. Height measurement is an essential component of the assessment of the critically ill patient.
When the nurses were asked to explain why it was necessary to weigh patientsthe main reason cited was the patient was on medication. In addition to weight a patients height is sometimes used to calculate dosages particularly with younger patients and patients receiving chemotherapy. One of the reasons quoted was they felt uncomfortable suggesting that patients should be weighed and that without a good reason recording a body weight could be perceived as unnecessarily invasive.
Gallery of The Reason The Patient S Height And Weight Are Obtained On Admission Is
