BACKGROUND: The usual daily weight fluctuations of well-hydrated older hospitalised people have not been documented internationally. To date, dehydration assessments based on a short-term body weight change defined as >2% have been drawn from healthy population data. The present pilot study aimed to describe usual body weight fluctuation at the same time of day over a 3-day time frame in well-hydrated older hospitalised adults. METHODS: An observational study of non-acute inpatients (n = 10) admitted to a Geriatric and Rehabilitation Unit, aged ≥60 years, assessed as well-hydrated, mobile, non-amputee and without conditions that influenced fluid status, was conducted. Participants were weighed hourly over a 9-h period for 3 days. Food and fluid intake, clothing items added or removed, and urine and faecal output were recorded. RESULTS: Weight fluctuation for each participant [mean (SD) 80.2 (4.2) years; male 60.0%, n = 10] over 3 days ranged from 1.1% to 3.6%. Over 3 days, 40.0% (4/10) of participants had weight fluctuations of >2% and 20% (2/10) had weight fluctuations of >3%. Time of weigh-in accounted for 99.8% of the variation in weight fluctuation (P < 0.05), with the lowest fluctuations observed when weights were compared at the same time each day (≤0.4 kg). CONCLUSIONS: Weights recorded at the same time daily had the greatest accuracy. Given that the range 1.1-3.6% was within normal weight fluctuations for well-hydrated older hospitalised participants, the weight change indicative of dehydration remains to be established in this setting but appears greater than conventionally used figures.
BACKGROUND: The usual daily weight fluctuations of well-hydrated older hospitalised people have not been documented internationally. To date, dehydration assessments based on a short-term body weight change defined as >2% have been drawn from healthy population data. The present pilot study aimed to describe usual body weight fluctuation at the same time of day over a 3-day time frame in well-hydrated older hospitalised adults. METHODS: An observational study of non-acute inpatients (n = 10) admitted to a Geriatric and Rehabilitation Unit, aged ≥60 years, assessed as well-hydrated, mobile, non-amputee and without conditions that influenced fluid status, was conducted. Participants were weighed hourly over a 9-h period for 3 days. Food and fluid intake, clothing items added or removed, and urine and faecal output were recorded. RESULTS: Weight fluctuation for each participant [mean (SD) 80.2 (4.2) years; male 60.0%, n = 10] over 3 days ranged from 1.1% to 3.6%. Over 3 days, 40.0% (4/10) of participants had weight fluctuations of >2% and 20% (2/10) had weight fluctuations of >3%. Time of weigh-in accounted for 99.8% of the variation in weight fluctuation (P < 0.05), with the lowest fluctuations observed when weights were compared at the same time each day (≤0.4 kg). CONCLUSIONS: Weights recorded at the same time daily had the greatest accuracy. Given that the range 1.1-3.6% was within normal weight fluctuations for well-hydrated older hospitalised participants, the weight change indicative of dehydration remains to be established in this setting but appears greater than conventionally used figures.
Authors: Lee Hooper; Asmaa Abdelhamid; Natalie J Attreed; Wayne W Campbell; Adam M Channell; Philippe Chassagne; Kennith R Culp; Stephen J Fletcher; Matthew B Fortes; Nigel Fuller; Phyllis M Gaspar; Daniel J Gilbert; Adam C Heathcote; Mohannad W Kafri; Fumiko Kajii; Gregor Lindner; Gary W Mack; Janet C Mentes; Paolo Merlani; Rowan A Needham; Marcel G M Olde Rikkert; Andreas Perren; James Powers; Sheila C Ranson; Patrick Ritz; Anne M Rowat; Fredrik Sjöstrand; Alexandra C Smith; Jodi J D Stookey; Nancy A Stotts; David R Thomas; Angela Vivanti; Bonnie J Wakefield; Nana Waldréus; Neil P Walsh; Sean Ward; John F Potter; Paul Hunter Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2015-04-30
Authors: Anna Obermayer; Norbert J Tripolt; Peter N Pferschy; Harald Kojzar; Angela Jacan; Markus Schauer; Faisal Aziz; Abderrahim Oulhaj; Felix Aberer; Caren Sourij; Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch; Vanessa Stadlbauer; Harald Sourij Journal: Diabet Med Date: 2022-02-28 Impact factor: 4.213
Authors: Lee Hooper; Diane K Bunn; Alice Downing; Florence O Jimoh; Joyce Groves; Carol Free; Vicky Cowap; John F Potter; Paul R Hunter; Lee Shepstone Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2015-11-09 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Lee Hooper; Asmaa Abdelhamid; Adam Ali; Diane K Bunn; Amy Jennings; W Garry John; Susan Kerry; Gregor Lindner; Carmen A Pfortmueller; Fredrik Sjöstrand; Neil P Walsh; Susan J Fairweather-Tait; John F Potter; Paul R Hunter; Lee Shepstone Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2015-10-21 Impact factor: 2.692