11 February 2020
Hydration is an essential component of life. Fluid balance
monitoring in health and social care has been a routine monitoring
tool carried out by nursing staff for many decades. The evidence
suggests poor compliance and inaccurate data with lack of time
or appropriate staff cited as the reasons for this. Several recent
high profile cases have attributed fatalities to a lack of adequate
hydration of patients in health/social care environments. Managing
someone’s input and output can have a signifcant effect on their
health and wellbeing. Accurate monitoring can also assist diagnosis
and ultimately guide appropriate treatment choices for people with
lower urinary tract symptoms. This article looks at the variety in
terminology and practice, discusses the importance of maintaining
accurate monitoring, and the essential components of a useful
monitoing tool. It also identifies some of the challenges faced in
maintaining effective monitoring of fluid balance with suggestions
for improving practice.
