title: [Obesity and outcomes in the ICU: an observational study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the relationships among Body Mass Index (BMI) with or without Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), ICU length of stay (ICU-LOS), duration of mechanical ventilation and mortality among ICU patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective observational study included all patients hospitalized in a 10-bed polyvalent ICU over a period of one year and seven months. We divided the studied population into 4 groups by BMI values: group A: between 18.5 and 24.9 (n=369); group B1: 25-39.9 without MetS (n=86); B2 group: 25-39.9 with MetS (n=72); group C: >40 (n=42). Major exclusion criteria were: age <18 years, death or cerebral death within 24 hours from ICU admission. The chi square test and the variance analysis were used to compare groups. Variables significantly associated with ICU mortality were entered in a multiple regression model, allowing the determination of independent predictors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  620 patients were included in the study. Their SOFA score was between 8 and 15. Significant differences between B1 and B2 subgroups were observed in ICU-LOS (p <0.01), duration of mechanical ventilation (p <0.01) and ICU mortality (p <0.01). We found no statistically significant differences in mortality between B2 and C groups, as well as between A and B1 groups (42.34%/45.15% vs 16.27%/19.07%, respectively). We found that a BMI >25 with MetS was an independent predictive factor of: lower ICU-LOS, lower duration of mechanical ventilation, higher mortality rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, a BMI >25 with MetS was significantly associated with increased morbidity and mortality in ICU patients.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anestesia e Rianimazione, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Univ. Magna Graecia, Via Giovanni XXIII 9, Catanzaro, Italy. giuseppe.bisurgi@libero.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bisurgi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caroleo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pezzi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verre
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Amantea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome