Which assessment indicates fluid overload in a patient prescribed furosemide?

When assessing a patient for signs of fluid overload, the presence of rales in the lower lobes of the lungs is a significant indicator. Rales, also known as crackles, are abnormal lung sounds that often result from the accumulation of fluid in the alveoli. This fluid can be a consequence of heart failure or other conditions leading to fluid overload. In the context of a patient who has been prescribed furosemide, a diuretic medication used to help reduce fluid retention, the presence of rales suggests that despite treatment, there is still excess fluid in the lungs, indicating that the patient may not be responding adequately to the diuretic or may still be volume overloaded.

Other signs of fluid overload, such as shortness of breath, peripheral edema, or increased blood pressure, can also occur, but the specific indication of rales focuses on pulmonary involvement due to fluid accumulation, making it a more direct assessment of fluid overload's impact on lung function.