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Who Should Be Estimating a Patient's Weight in the Emergency Department?

2005; Wiley; Volume: 12; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1553-2712.2005.tb00881.x

1553-2712

Jill Corbo, Michael Canter, Diana Grinberg, Polly E. Bijur,

Cardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical Outcomes

Academic Emergency MedicineVolume 12, Issue 3 p. 262-266 Free Access Who Should Be Estimating a Patient's Weight in the Emergency Department? Jill Corbo MD, Corresponding Author Jill Corbo MD Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JC, MC, DG, PB), Bronx, NY. Address for correspondence: Jill Corbo, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center, 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Room 1W20, Bronx, NY 10462. Fax: 718-918-7459; e-mail: jillcorbo@aol.com.Reprints are not available.Search for more papers by this authorMichael Canter MD, Michael Canter MD Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JC, MC, DG, PB), Bronx, NY.Search for more papers by this authorDiana Grinberg MD, Diana Grinberg MD Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JC, MC, DG, PB), Bronx, NY.Search for more papers by this authorPolly Bijur PhD, Polly Bijur PhD Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JC, MC, DG, PB), Bronx, NY.Search for more papers by this author Jill Corbo MD, Corresponding Author Jill Corbo MD Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JC, MC, DG, PB), Bronx, NY. Address for correspondence: Jill Corbo, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center, 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Room 1W20, Bronx, NY 10462. Fax: 718-918-7459; e-mail: jillcorbo@aol.com.Reprints are not available.Search for more papers by this authorMichael Canter MD, Michael Canter MD Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JC, MC, DG, PB), Bronx, NY.Search for more papers by this authorDiana Grinberg MD, Diana Grinberg MD Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JC, MC, DG, PB), Bronx, NY.Search for more papers by this authorPolly Bijur PhD, Polly Bijur PhD Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JC, MC, DG, PB), Bronx, NY.Search for more papers by this author First published: 28 June 2008 https://doi.org/10.1197/j.aem.2004.10.005Citations: 18AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Objectives: Medical personnel often need to estimate a patient's weight rapidly and accurately to administer pharmacologic agents whose dosages are based on weight. Inaccurate estimates of weight may result in administration of either subtherapeutic or, in other cases, toxic doses of medications. The hypothesis of this study was that the patient is a more accurate estimator of his or her own weight than the physician or nurse caring for him or her. Methods: This was a prospective study in which adult patients presenting to an urban emergency department (ED) were examined for study eligibility. Patients unable to stand were excluded. The patient, physician, and nurse caring for the patients were independently asked to estimate the patients' weights. The patients were then weighed. Results: A convenience sample of 458 patients were enrolled during a four-week period. The median measured (actual) weight was 172.5 lb. The best estimate of a patient's weight was made by the patient himself or herself: the median difference between patient estimates and actual weights was 0 lb (interquartile range [IQR] =−5 to 5). The physicians and nurses had larger underestimates: −5 lb (IQR =−22 to 12) and −6 lb (IQR =−22 to 10), respectively. Weight was estimated within 10% of actual weight by 90.6% of the patients, 50.4% of the physicians, and 49.6% of the nurses. Conclusions: When a patient is unable to be weighed, the patient's own weight estimate should be used. If neither is possible, the physician or nurse should estimate the patient's weight. References Martin DR, Soria DM, Brown CG et al. Agreement between paramedic-estimated weights and subsequent hospital measurements in adults with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Prehosp Disaster Med. 1994; 9: 54– 7. Coe, TR, Halkes, M, Houghton, K, Jefferson, D. The accuracy of visual estimation of weight and height in pre-operative supine patients. Anaesthesia. 1999; 54: 582– 98. Fernandes, CM, Clark, S, Price, A, Innes, G. How accurately do we estimate patients' weight in emergency departments? Can Fam Physician. 1999; 45: 2373– 6. Hirsh J. Comparison of the relative efficacy and safety of low molecular weight heparin and unfractionated heparin for the treatment of venous thrombosis. Haemostasis. 1996; 26(suppl 4): 189– 98. Citing Literature Volume12, Issue3March 2005Pages 262-266 ReferencesRelatedInformation