The nurse who is caring for a client prescribed diuretics and fluid restriction to control edema can most easily evaluate the effectiveness of the medical protocol by
a. calculating plasma osmolality.
b. careful weight assessment.
c. checking the lab report on serum sodium level.
d. measuring the ankle circumference.
B
A careful recording of the daily weight at the same time of day on the same scale is the easiest method to evaluate the effectiveness of diuretic therapy. It is also the most accurate as it captures insensible fluid losses. Plasma osmolality and serum sodium level also are useful to determine fluid status but they are neither the easiest nor the most reliable. Measuring ankle circumference indicates the presence or absence of edema, which is also an indicator of fluid status.
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