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Nursing vocabulary · IV Therapy and Fluids

Fluid balance

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˈfluːɪd ˌbæləns/nounCommon term

In nursing, fluid balance means: The difference between all the fluid a patient takes in (drinks, drips, feeds) and all the fluid they lose (urine, vomit, drains) over a set time.

In Turkish: sıvı dengesi, aldığı-çıkardığı takibi

How it is used

Recorded on a fluid balance chart, usually over 24 hours. A patient can be in positive balance (more in than out) or negative balance. US nurses usually say 'intake and output' or 'I&O' ('strict I&Os'). Accurate charting matters especially in heart or kidney problems, sepsis and after surgery.

Example sentences

  1. He's 1.5 litres in positive fluid balance since yesterday, and his ankles are swollen.

  2. Please keep a strict fluid balance chart for bed 8.

Common collocations

  • fluid balance chart
  • positive fluid balance
  • negative fluid balance
  • strict fluid balance
  • monitor fluid balance
  • chartTo write down information about a patient, such as observations, medicines given or fluids taken, in their record or on a special form.
  • urinary catheterA thin, flexible tube passed into the bladder, usually through the urethra, to drain urine into a bag.
  • dehydratedHaving lost more water than the body has taken in, so that it does not have enough fluid to work normally.
  • dripAn everyday word for a bag of fluid or medicine that flows slowly into a patient's vein through a tube, or for the whole set-up.
  • bedpanA flat container that a patient who cannot get out of bed sits on to pass urine or open their bowels.

More terms: IV Therapy and Fluids

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.