Fluid Assessment and Monitoring Balance

The aims of assessing fluid status are to recognise the abnormalities of body water content, recognise underlying disorders, guid fluid intake and replacement and to guid treatments promoting fluid loss.

Clients may have a positive fluid balance (fluid not being used) due to disease or iatrogenic fluid administration. This will result in a net positive fluid balance and manifest as interstitial oedema, which may have adverse effects on the organs.

Disease processes may make fluid status assessment difficult and individual clinical features of fluid status are often insensitive or inaccurate. Therefore, it is important to avoid treating those with underlying cardiac, pulmonary, or renal conditions when it comes to intravenous Micronutrient Therapy.

There are several simple ways to monitor fluid balance. These include taking down fluid balance charts such as measuring input as well as output. Firstly, calculating body weight and using the calculation 40mls/KG/day to see how much fluid a person should be intaking per day.

Reduced renal perfusion may cause serum urea and creatinine to rise. In patients with dehydration or cardiac failure the urea is usually disproportionately raised compared with the creatinine.