The nurse is admitting a patient with a suspected fluid imbalance. The most sensitive indicator of body fluid balance is:
A) Daily weight
B) Serum sodium levels
C) Measured intake and output
D) Blood pressure
Ans: A
Feedback: Daily weights show trends and can assist medical management by indicating if interventions and medications are effective. Laboratory data are objective data that indicate whether electrolyte levels are within normal limits for the patient with fluid balance problems. However, if a patient is dehydrated, some laboratory data can show false elevations. Intake and output is extremely important, but matching the two is difficult because fluid is also lost through breathing, perspiration, stool, and surgical tubes. Vital signs may or may not be helpful because heart rate and blood pressure can be elevated by either depletion or excess of fluids in some situations.
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