fluid balance

i encounter many patients with heart conditions who are on fluid restriction. e.g. 1.5 liters per day.

nurses have a fluid balance chart to fill in for these patients. occasionally doctors request "strict" fluid balance monitoring.

monitoring output is easy if a measuring container is used for urine. but i dare confess monitoring input is a near impossible task, and i don't even attempt to achieve it. i said, more than once, to the doctors' face it's impossible but i'll try (well, not really).

if you stayed with one person watching their fluid intake for 8-12 hours straight, would you be able to tell their total intake for that period? you just have no idea how much water he or she just drank. not unless they consume each liquid with measured cup and keep a log each time.

now do this without measurements, for people who can't estimate how much they drank, then multiply that task by 4-8 patients.

so you know why it's not feasible, and even when the form is filled in, it's not quite accurate as requesters hoped it would be.

technically very possible. practically near impossible.