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

Abstract

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.

Weight assessment in cardiac patients: implications for prescription of low molecular weight heparin

“…Again this is consistent with previous studies 12 – 17. Interestingly, female patients were more likely to be accurate than males at estimating their own weight.…”

Optimisation of antithrombotic therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome to reduce bleeding episodes

“…A hoist (Hill-Rom, VIKING â model) with weighing scales was acquired for the study and placed in the coronary care unit to be used in patients unable to stand or confined to their beds. As a possible alternative, weight information could be given by the patients themselves (or their carers), a source of information that has been shown to be more reliable than estimates by healthcare staff (16,17). In POST, baseline characteristics were similar to PRE, as well as the presence of bleeding risk factors ( Table 1).…”

Estimación subjetiva del peso y talla de los pacientes de UCI. Medidas poco aconsejables

“…El peso y talla reales no siempre están disponibles al ingreso ni durante la estancia del paciente en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos por diferentes motivos. También es frecuente que no podamos obtener el peso autoestimado por el paciente, que ha demostrado tener un margen de error muy pequeño con respecto al peso y talla reales 4,5 . En estas condiciones la estimación subjetiva sigue siendo el método más utilizado 6,7 .…”