Investigation of intake-output as a means of assessing body fluid balance.
This study has demonstrated a mean error in I-O figures of 799.50 cc per day when compared with daily weight calculations. There was no statistically significant correlation between the two values. It is suggested that a change be made in nursing practice. If recording of intake-output is to continue as a nursing practice, then it must be coupled with daily weighings and used only in cases where intake must be limited and/or output carefully monitored. Then the two figures, weight loss and gain and fluid balance, loss or gain, must be compared and causes sought for any variances greater than +/- 250 cc.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001826:Body Fluids; D001835:Body Weight; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D014883:Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / Q000175:diagnosis*