Measuring body weight and height of critically ill patients in intensive care often challenge nurses. Then raise the measuring bar until it touches the top of the patients head. Remove the bed scale and bath blanket after you are done with measurements. Do not rely on a patients stated weight a healthcare providers estimated weight or a documented weight from a previous encounter. Extend the horizontal bar and lower the bar until it touches the top of the patients head. Part 2 will describe the procedure for measuring height and explain how weight and height are used to calculate body mass index.
Measure and document patient weights in metric units only. The weight and height assumptions are based on study of average elderly weight and height range in asians darnis et al 2012. Place the bed scale pad below the patient. Best c shepherd e 2020 accurate measurement of weight and height 1. These two marks will be used to measure hisher height. While the patient is still on the scale tell the patient to stand erect.
It is vital that staff carrying out this measurement are trained and have access to appropriate. Avoid the use of a stated estimated or historical weight. This quality improvement project was to determine one effective method of how all patients in intensive care unit icu could be measured and weighed accurately and cost effectively. Igual et al 2013. Measuring patient weight is considered a routine assessment that is frequently delegated to unregistered staff. Read the patients height.
189 document the date the weight was measured. Estimated weight and height is thought to be inaccurate. The patient transfer scale is specially designed for patients with limited mobility that are difficult to weigh on conventional scales it is light portable easily washed and perfect for emergency room situations. The reason in which a controlled weight and. Patient transfer scale. Estimating height in bedridden patients estimates of pharmacokinetic parameters and evaluation of nutritional status rely on accurate measurement of not only body weight but also height.
You must mark the bottom of hisher feet and head over the bath blanket. Gauge the weight of the patient as per the readings over the bed scale. From a purely nutrition point of view the formula used for calculating the basal metabolic rate bmr for a patient is bmr 10 weight kg 625 height cm 5 age y 5 for males and bmr 10 weight kg 625 height cm 5 age y 161 for females 10. Yet patient weight is a fundamental part of nutrition assessment and may be used to calculate drug dosages and assess fluid balance. However a number of common disabilities and disease processes make it difficult to accurately measure standing height in many patients. Measurement of patient weight is essential for administration of correct drug dosages and treatment.
Gallery of How To Measure Height And Weight Of Immobile Patient
