Scales

Medical Scales for Professional Use

Weight determination plays an important role in many medical fields because weight provides information about the patient's nutritional and general condition. In the case of various metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus or CHD, the weight is determined and documented at regular intervals, as being overweight is considered a risk factor for these diseases.

But weight control also plays an important role in the treatment of eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia, as further reduction of body weight should be prevented at all costs. In this case, the documentation of the weight curve serves as an instrument to measure the success of the therapy.

In paediatrics, the body weight of the child is also determined at regular intervals. Many baby scales come with a so-called Breast Milk Intake function, which is a simple way to measure the amount of milk consumed during breastfeeding. This control measurement provides information about whether the infant is drinking enough or whether intervention is necessary.

Common Bathroom Scales in Medical Diagnostics

All medical scales—whether baby scales, mechanical column scales, or digital personal scales—used in a medical practice, hospital, or rehabilitation facility must be calibrated. Many scales require recalibration after a certain period, although this depends on where the scale is used. Medical practices and occupational health specialists, for example, are generally not required to recalibrate their scales unless they are using a certified baby scale.

Functions of Medical Scales

Digital scales often include various functions to simplify weighing. Here is an overview of the most important functions and their purpose.

HOLD Function:

Scales with a HOLD function freeze the weight reading either when the weighing stops, after pressing the HOLD button, or after unloading the scale for a few seconds. This allows the healthcare professional to first attend to the patient before reading the weight. This function is especially useful for baby scales.

TARE Function:

This function allows the scale to be reset to zero after placing an object on it that should not be included in the measurement. For infant scales, this is used to weigh a baby in a blanket. First, the blanket is placed on the scale, then the TARE button is pressed, and finally, the baby is weighed. This ensures only the baby’s weight is recorded.

Mother-Child Function:

Similar to the TARE function, the mother-child function subtracts the weight of the parent to determine the child’s weight. Since many children are calmer on a parent’s arm, this method is often preferable to using a baby or toddler scale.

BMI Function:

Personal scales with an integrated height rod or fitness scales often include a BMI display, automatically calculating BMI based on the weight and manually entered height of the person.

Breast-Milk Intake Function:

This function precisely measures the amount of milk consumed by an infant. The baby is weighed before and after feeding, and the scale automatically subtracts the initial weight to display the milk intake on the LCD screen.

Special-Form Medical Scales

In addition to standard personal scales, specialized scales are often used when patients are partially or fully immobile.

Chair Scale

This electronic scale resembles a wheelchair but is used to measure the weight of immobile patients. The patient is placed in the chair, and the scale quickly and accurately determines the weight. Chair scales are commonly used in hospitals and care facilities, especially because their wheels allow for mobile use between wards. Well-known models include the seca 956 and the KERN MCC.

Wheelchair Scale