A patient has underlying cardiac disease and requires careful monitoring of his fluid balance.He also has a draining wound.Which of the following methods for evaluating his wound drainage would be most appropriate for assessing fluid loss?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

By weighing the dressing before it is applied and after it is removed,the nurse can accurately determine the amount of drainage.Weighing the patient daily would evaluate his overall fluid balance but is not sensitive to fluid loss through the wound.Marking a circle around the wound is useful for determining the extent of drainage seeping out of a wound but it does not provide information on how much fluid is draining.

A Patient Has Underlying Cardiac Disease and Requires Careful Monitoring