Selection of appropriate fluids

As well as the client’s food intake the health care professional needs to ensure that sufficient fluid is consumed on a daily basis. The normal requirement for an adult is three litres of fluid every 24 hours. Our role is to ensure that clients drink a sufficient amount of fluids to prevent dehydration. Encouraging patients to drink (or ‘push fluids’ as it is often known) is usually left to junior or inexperienced staff. It is therefore essential to have sound knowledge of the client’s needs and to work very closely with them in order to encourage them to drink. They should be checked frequently, that is, at least every two hours, ensuring that they are offered the most acceptable beverages or alternatives (for example ice lollies) and that what the client has consumed is accurately documented.

An important point to remember is that some patients may have restrictions placed on the amount of fluid they are allowed to drink each day. For example, some clients with renal failure can be restricted to as little as 600 ml per day. Clients suffering from heart failure may also have restrictions on the amount of fluid they are able to receive. In contrast, clients may need extra fluid if they are losing excess fluid due to, for example, a raised temperature (pyrexia). It is therefore important to be aware of the client’s individual hydration needs in order to educate and assist clients to select the appropriate amount and type of fluid.

In addition, the older person, children, people with learning difficulties and some clients with mental health problems can easily become dehydrated if they are not encouraged to drink sufficient amounts of water.