Interventions for Fluid Imbalances

Question: Discuss about the Interventions for Fluid Imbalances. Answer: The nurse must weigh the patient daily ate same time often in morning hours Patient needs to have same amount of clothes when weighed on standing scale Nurses should measure fluid amounts getting in and out of body over a period of time Excess fluid can accumulate in arms and legs and can lead to edema when limbs are placed in downward position The limb should be positioned above the heart to facilitate fluid circulation back into the body When patient is in bed, the foot of bed should be elevated to help him relieve fluid from legs and feet Pillows should be used to elevate the arms The nurse should encourage walking around because moving the legs will move fluid from lower limbs (Nuevo, Vennari Agro, 2012) Other interventions include: Monitoring daily weight to determine the fluid therapy of the client Measuring the vital signs to get the data used in the determination of type and amount of fluid therapy Measuring intake and output to monitor the fluid of patient over twenty-four period Provision of oral hygiene to promote client comfort as well as integrity of buccal cavity Initiation of oral fluid therapy like oral replacement therapy for mild dehydration (Felver, 2014) Application of Home care include: Consideration for measuring IO Nursing alert like removing gloves before charting Maintaining tube feeding Monitoring intravenous therapy References Felver, L. (2014). Fluid and electrolyte homeostasis and imbalances. In J. L. Lee-Ellen C. Copstead-Kirkhorn, Pathophysiology - E-Book (p. 520). Elsevier Health Sciences. Nuevo, F. R., Vennari, M., Agro, F. (2012). How to maintain and restore fluid balance: crystalloids. In F. Agro, Body Fluid Management: From Physiology to Therapy (p. 38). Springer Science Business Media.