During amphotericin B therapy, which metric is routinely used to assess fluid balance?

• A. Hemoglobin
• B. Serum osmolality
• C. Input and output
• D. Platelet count

Answer: (C)

Tracking intake and output is the standard way to assess fluid balance during amphotericin B therapy. This drug can cause nephrotoxicity and fluid shifts, so monitoring how much fluid the patient takes in and how much leaves the body helps catch dehydration or fluid overload early and guides how fluids are managed. While labs like creatinine, BUN, and electrolytes are important for overall renal monitoring, they don’t directly measure day-to-day fluid status the way an input/output chart does. Other metrics such as hemoglobin, serum osmolality, or platelet count relate to different aspects of physiology and aren’t used to track fluid balance in this context.