Fluid Restriction – Management of Ascites (Nursing)

00:01 Now the 5th interprofessional goal is fluid restriction.

00:05 Nobody likes this one because you are never thirstier just dying for something to drink until someone tells you you can't have it.

00:15 So in some cases will need to restrict fluids, like maybe down to one liter.

00:19 that is not very much over an entire day.

00:23 But we only do that if the serum sodium is less than a 120.

00:28 or they have symptomatic with that hyponatremia.

00:31 so fluid restrictions are miserable.

00:34 They're really hard on your patient to follow.

00:37 So we only do it if the serum sodium is less than a 120, or their symptomatic with the hyponatremia.

00:43 So you're going to have to collaborate with the patient the family and all members of the healthcare team to closely monitor and report to each other how much fluid the patient is taken in up to this point.

00:57 I/O is definitely a team sport.

01:00 If somebody comes in and gives them one 8 ounce cup of water that's almost a fourth of what you'd want them to have for the entire day.

01:08 So usually when a patient has a fluid restriction, it's somehow marked in the room to remind all of us that we need to check their I/O balance before we give them additional fluids.

01:19 So keep your patient within the prescribed fluid limitations.

01:23 1 liter is just an example, but the physician will order what the exact amount of the fluid restriction is.