title: Recording inpatient weight: implications for medicines administration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the proportions of hospital inpatients with recorded weights: among all patients, and among those receiving weight-dosed drug therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey of clinical notes of hospital inpatients across a convenience sample of 11 secondary and tertiary referral hospitals in England and Wales in November 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1068 patients were included, and 1061 patient clinical notes were available (99.3%). Nearly all paediatric patients had recorded weights (77/78; 98.7%). Half of adult inpatients had recorded weights (503/983, 51.2%). The proportion of adult inpatients with recorded weights varied by hospital, ranging from 13.5% to 92.5% (p<0.0001). In those receiving gentamicin or therapeutic-dose low molecular weight heparin (t-LMWH), only 64.5% (71/110) had a recorded weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Half of adult inpatients, and two-thirds of those receiving gentamicin or t-LMWH, had recorded weights. There was significant variation in rates of weighing adult inpatients across hospitals. This may put patients at increased risk of side effects and problems resulting from malnutrition.
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
authors.forename: Jamie S B
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Willson
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Royal United Hospital, Bath.
authors.forename: Seb J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
authors.forename: Strachan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, St Mary's Hospital, London.
authors.forename: Alice J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Charing Cross Hospital, London.
authors.forename: Soumen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Ratliff
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Conquest Hospital, Hastings.
authors.forename: Arti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
authors.forename: Sabrina E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Black
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Salford Royal Hospital, Manchester.
authors.forename: Sarasvati U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Morriston Hospital, Swansea.
authors.forename: Alastair O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff.
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Garnham
authors.affiliation: Foundation Year 2, Gloucester Royal Hospital, Gloucester.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Horsnell
authors.affiliation: Radiology Registrar, Auckland Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Gregory P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Tarr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D054869:Clinical Audit; D004282:Documentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004739:England; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D014852:Wales
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000925:Anticoagulants; D005839:Gentamicins; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight
keywords: Body weight; Gentamicin; Inpatients; Low molecular weight heparin; Malnutrition