LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Interdisciplinary knowledge gaps on intravenous fluid management in adult patients: Survey among physicians and nurses of a university hospital.

Photo from wikipedia

RATIONALE Intravenous (IV) fluids are frequently involved in iatrogenic complications in hospitalized patients. Knowledge of IV fluids seems inadequate and is not covered sufficiently in standard medical education. METHODS Two… Click to show full abstract

RATIONALE Intravenous (IV) fluids are frequently involved in iatrogenic complications in hospitalized patients. Knowledge of IV fluids seems inadequate and is not covered sufficiently in standard medical education. METHODS Two surveys were developed, based on the 2016 British National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline 'IV fluid therapy in adults in hospital', to provide insight on the learning needs and expectations of physicians and nurses. Each survey focused on profession-specific practice and consisted of three parts: demographics, knowledge questions and evaluation of current habits. Physicians and nurses practicing in a Belgian university hospital were invited to complete the survey electronically, respectively, in January and May 2018. RESULTS A total of 103 physicians (19%) and 259 nurses (24%) participated. Although every indication for fluid therapy may require a specific fluid and electrolyte mixture, and hence, knowledge of their exact composition, most physicians and nurses did not know the composition of commonly prescribed solutions for IV infusion. Senior physicians did not score better than juniors did on questions concerning the daily needs of a nil-by-mouth patient. The availability of an IV fluid on the ward guides physicians to prescribe IV fluids (17%). Nurses (56%) feel they share responsibility in fluid management as they frequently intervene in urgent situations. More than half of participants (70% of physicians, 79% of nurses) indicated a need for additional information. CONCLUSIONS A clear need for more structured information on IV fluids was identified. Both physicians and nurses struggle with fluid therapy. Continuing education on IV fluid management, emphasizing multidisciplinary collaboration, and monitoring evidence-based practice is essential to support the clinical decision process in daily practice.

Keywords: university hospital; physicians nurses; survey; fluid; fluid management

Journal Title: Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
Year Published: 2022

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.