Exploring the importance of daily weights for patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure: A review of the literature

Abstract

Aim: The importance of recording the daily weight of hospital in-patients suffering with congestive heart failure is reinforced in the European Society of Cardiology and NICE (2021) guidelines, yet inconsistencies in nursing care remain in the United Kingdom. Identifying the reasons and barriers for inconsistency is important to promote optimal fluid management and up-titrating therapy.

Methods: A review of the literature using the electronic database CINAHL Ultimate searched for research studies between 2013 and 2024, and from n=505 research studies, n=62 were reduced and n=11 appraised.

Findings: Three themes were found: first, recording congestive heart failure patients’ daily weights correlates to the effectiveness of congestive heart failure decongestion because it is a biomarker or measurable indicator to inform diuretic protocols and accurately titrate diuretics. Second, barriers and obstacles in obtaining daily weights relate to training and knowledge, poor task delegation and insufficient or broken equipment. Third, daily weighing and optimal fluid management reduces 30-day re-admissions, attendance at an emergency department and improved mortality rates.

Conclusion: The recording of a patient’s daily weight enables nurses to determine accumulated fluid retention, inform a multi-disciplinary treatment response, predict mortality, accurately titrate medications, and reduce 30-day re-admissions.