Doctors and nurses estimation of the weight of patients: A preventable source of systematic error.
BACKGROUND
Although accurate determination of body weight is important in the management of the poisoned patient, many patients have their weight estimated rather than formally measured.


OBJECTIVE
To determine how good medical staff are at estimating patients*** body weights.


METHODS
Medical staff were asked to estimate the weight of six patients on a poisons ward. Estimated and actual patient weights were statistically compared.


RESULTS
Medical staff produced a large range of estimated weights for all patients. Patient weight was incorrectly estimated by greater than 10% in 61% of individual estimations. There was poor statistical correlation between actual and estimated weight.


CONCLUSIONS
All patients administered medication based on body weight and those treated following an overdose of any substance should have formal body weight determined as part of their standard management.
National Poisons Information Service, Guys and St. Thomas' NHS Trust, London, UK. shaun.greene@gstt.nhs.uk
Shaun
S
Greene
Paul
P
Dargan
G Y
GY
Shin
A I
AI
Jones
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000931:Antidotes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D010465:Perception; D010820:Physicians; D011041:Poisoning / Q000628:therapy*
D000931:Antidotes; D000111:Acetylcysteine