An investigation into the routine weight assessments involved in the administration process in a district general hospital

摘要

Drug inactivity and drug toxicity are generally dependent upon the therapeutic window of a particular drug, which in turn is dependent upon drug distribution and patient weight.1 Consequently, it is important that a patient has their weight measured before drug therapy commences, particularly with those drugs that have a small therapeutic index, Examples include lithium, aminoglycoside antibiotics, heparin and digoxin. Three studies have demonstrated the importance of nutritional status, patient weight and drug dose adjustments,2'3 Similarly, one study showed that only 63% of patients receiving either total parenteral and/or enteral nutrition actually had their weight checked.