Estimating perspiratio

Specialties MICU

Published

I am trying to find a simple and fairly reliable method of estimating perspiratio.

So far we are just ignoring it when calculating fluid balance. Which means that when the doctors want a fluidbalance of +500 ml, it is because they think the patient needs fluid - but if we are spot on, they actually comes out in a negative balance because we dont calculate with perspiratio.

Anyway... asked some of the doctors, and they said, if I could find a simple and reliable method, then we could use it (on our new observationchart we are making).

So far, the simplest has been:

10 ml/kg/day when not intubated

5 ml/kg/day when intubated

+10% per degree celcius over 37C

But that still leaves out metabolic oxidation of about 300 ml/day. And the fact that metabolic oxidation increases with fever.

How do you do it??

None of the units that I have ever worked on calculated for perspiration.

Why is your unit so concerned with this? What type of unit are you working on?

:balloons:

None of the units that I have ever worked on calculated for perspiration.

Why is your unit so concerned with this? What type of unit are you working on?

:balloons:

I'm working in a MICU. I think most ICU's in Scandinavia uses perspiratio when calculating fluid balance, all of my colleages from Finland, Sweden, Germany and Australia are also used to it. After all we are talking about liters, not just a few ml. Especially if the patient sweats.

Most places we just used an estimate, usually 1000 ml, adding a bit if the patient has fever and adding some more if the patient sweats. In that way we at least consider it.

We also calculate perspiratio in fluid balance. But we don`t use any formula. Usually for adult ( 80-100 kg ) we calculate 1000 ml perspiratio. For example: 3500 ( urine, drains, ng...) + 1000 ( perspiratio ) = 4500 + sweat or fever. Word "sweat" or "fever" is some kind of memo for doctors.

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