Obesity in the Critical Care Setting

Candice Falls; Sheila Melander

doi:10.1016/j.cnur.2021.08.002

Obesity in the Critical Care Setting

Nurs Clin North Am. 2021 Dec;56(4):573-581. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2021.08.002.

Authors

Candice Falls¹, Sheila Melander²

Affiliations

¹ University of Kentucky, College of Nursing, 751 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. Electronic address: cdharvo@uky.edu.
² University of Kentucky, College of Nursing, 751 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.

PMID: 34749896
DOI: 10.1016/j.cnur.2021.08.002

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity continues to rise and is caused by many factors. Obesity places patients at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Although obesity in the normal population is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, obesity in critically ill patients has lower mortality. This is referred to as the obesity paradox, and although not fully understood, involves several mechanisms that demonstrate a protective factor in critically ill obese patients. However, despite the benefit, the management of critically ill obese patients faces many challenges.

Keywords: Critical care; Obesity; Obesity paradox.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Critical Care*
Critical Illness* / mortality
Critical Illness* / therapy
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Obesity* / epidemiology
Obesity* / physiopathology
Prevalence
Respiratory Insufficiency / mortality
Sepsis / mortality
Vaccination