BMI Does Not Predict MICU Outcome

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 14 Jun 2005 - 7:00 PDT

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Patients who are obese are not at greater risk of morbidity, mortality, or increased costs in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), according to new findings. Researchers in Allentown, PA, recorded the height, weight, age, hospital length of stay, medical complications, and other variables of 813 patients admitted to the MICU between January 1997 and August 2001.

The study subjects were divided into five groups: underweight (BMI less than 20.0), normal weight (BMI = 20.0-24.9), overweight (BMI = 25.0-29.9), obese (BMI = 30-39.9), and severely obese (BMI = 40.0 or more).

No significant difference was found between the MICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, need for mechanical ventilation or number of days on the ventilator, mortality rate, and costs for obese and very obese patients when compared to the other three groups.

The only significant difference found was that the patients who were severely obese were more likely to be female and younger than the obese patients. The study appears in the June issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

News briefs from the journal CHEST June 2005
Contact: Jennifer Stawarz
jstawarz@chestnet.org
847-498-8306
American College of Chest Physicians
http://www.chestnet.org