A survey of monitoring of weight and blood glucose in in-patients

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Abstract
AIMS AND METHOD The aim of this survey was to look at current practice in monitoring weight and glucose control in in-patients being prescribed antipsychotic medications. Records for 51 patients admitted with psychotic illnesses to a large teaching hospital during a 3-month interval were surveyed. RESULTS Fifty-five per cent of patients had no record of weight taken on admission to hospital. Only one patient had their weight repeated during the admission. Forty-nine per cent of patients had random blood glucose checked on admission. No fasting levels were performed. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Weight gain and hyperglycaemia associated with antipsychotic prescription are well-recognised side-effects. These results suggest that standardisation of weight measurement and blood glucose monitoring is required.

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