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The recent report by Neville et al¹ concluded that obesity (body mass index 30 kg/m²) was an independent predictor of mortality in blunt trauma patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) care.

We reviewed 304 patients (aged 17 years) admitted to the OU Medical Center level 1 trauma ICU from January 1 through July 30, 2004, for greater than 48 hours.² The majority were male (75%), suffered blunt trauma (86%), and 33% were obese. Overall mortality (11.3% vs 12.1%, P = .83) and mortality in the obese and nonobese suffering blunt injury (11.6% vs 10.7%, P = .8) were similar. Obese patients with a lower degree of trauma (level 2) or a Trauma and Injury Severity Score of greater than 0.8 had a nonsignificant increase in mortality, 8% vs 3% compared with nonobese patients. Obese patients had a longer duration of mechanical ventilation (mean ± SD, 5.3 ± 0.8 vs 3.2 ± 0.7 days, P = .06) and ICU . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Joe G. Zein, MD; Roxie M. Albrecht, MD, FACS; Maroun M. Tawk, MD; Gary T. Kinasewitz, MD

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RELATED ARTICLE

Effect of Obesity on Mortality in Severely Injured Blunt Trauma Patients Remains Unclear—Reply
Carlos V.R. Brown and Angela L. Neville
Arch Surg. 2005;140(11):1131.
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