What it means
Nurses describe fluid balance as normal, too little (fluid volume deficit, or hypovolemia) or too much (fluid volume excess, or hypervolemia). A deficit comes from losing more fluid than is taken in, such as with vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding or burns. An excess comes from taking in more than the body can remove, as with heart failure, kidney failure or IV fluids given too fast.
For the nurse
Daily weight, intake and outputIN-tayk and OWT-putThe measured record of all fluids a client takes in and all fluids that leave the body over a set time.Full entry , vital signs, skin turgor, mucous membranes, lung sounds and edema all help judge fluid volume. A weight gain of more than 1 kg (2.2 lb) in a day, or about 2 kg (5 lb) in a week, is usually reported in heart failure.
At a glance
| Spanish | volumen de líquidos |
|---|---|
| Also written | fluid volumes |
Related terms
edema
Swelling caused by extra fluid trapped in the body's tissues.
dehydration
A state in which the body has lost more water than it has taken in.
intake and output
The measured record of all fluids a client takes in and all fluids that leave the body over a set time.
fluid
A liquid; in the body, the water and what is dissolved in it, inside and outside the cells.