Digital technology has the potential to improve fluid balance charting.
What is it about?
A healthy body is in fluid balance, but sick and hospitalized patients are at risk of fluid balance disturbances. Overhydration and dehydration are associated with increased mortality and an increased risk of complications. Maintaining fluid balance is pivotal to patients' health. Therefore, fluid balance charting is vital to evaluating patients' fluid balance and planning their treatment. However, the quality of fluid balance needs to be improved, as it is often inadequate and inaccurate. This study tested a prototype of a digital technology aimed at automating and digitizing fluid balance charting. The technology consisted of three devices that measured urinary output, oral intake and intravenous fluids, respectively. We compared the digital technology with a reference measurement and the standard method. The difference between the reference measurements and the three devices of the digital technology was, on average, less than 2 millilitres. The digital technology was comparable to or more accurate than the standard method, and it could potentially improve fluid balance charting in clinical practice.
Why is it important?
Maintaining fluid balance is pivotal to patients' health. Therefore, fluid balance charting is vital to evaluating patients' fluid balance and planning their treatment. However, manual documentation of fluid balance is time-consuming and cumbersome and, thus, not always possible to complete due to other competing nursing tasks and time restraints. We believe the digital technology may free up time by taking over a routine nursing task; and further improve treatment by providing precise, timely and instantly available data.