title: Obesity in trauma: outcomes and disposition trends.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity's effect on the outcomes of trauma patients remains inconclusive.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of all falls, motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), and penetrating trauma patients admitted from January 2008 to December 2012 was performed. The outcomes evaluated included mortality, length of stay at hospital, and discharge disposition. Patients were grouped according to the body mass index (BMI) and stratified by injury severity scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two thousand one hundred ninety six patients were analyzed; 132 penetrating, 913 falls, and 1,151 MVCs. Penetrating traumas had no significant difference in outcomes. In falls, obese patients had a lower mortality (P = .035). In MVCs, obese patients had longer hospitalizations (P = .02), and mild and moderate MVC injuries were less likely to be discharged home (P = .032 and .003). Obese patients sustained fewer head injuries in falls and MVCs (P = .005 and .043, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In falls, a higher BMI may benefit patients. However, an increasing BMI is associated with a longer length of stay at hospital, and decreased likelihood of discharge to home.
authors.affiliation: Carle Foundation Hospital, IL, USA; University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, IL, USA. Electronic address: Zachary.Osborne@carle.com.
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.affiliation: Carle Foundation Hospital, IL, USA; University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Blair
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rowitz
authors.affiliation: Carle Foundation Hospital, IL, USA; University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Carle Foundation Hospital, IL, USA; University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Uretz
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oliphant
authors.affiliation: Carle Foundation Hospital, IL, USA; Carle Foundation Hospital, IL, USA.
authors.forename: JoAnn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Carle Foundation Hospital, IL, USA; University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.affiliation: Carle Foundation Hospital, IL, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aucar
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois / Q000453:epidemiology; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: Blunt trauma; Body mass index; Fall; Motor vehicle collision; Obesity; Wounds and injuries