title: Impact of obesity on sepsis mortality: A systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sepsis and severe sepsis are the most common cause of death among critically ill patients admitted in medical intensive care units. As more than one-third of the adult population of the United States is obese; we undertook a systematic review of the association between obesity and mortality among patients admitted with sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review was conducted to identify pertinent studies using a comprehensive search strategy. Studies reporting mortality in obese patients admitted with sepsis were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our initial search identified 183 studies of which 7 studies met our inclusion criteria. Three studies reported no significant association between obesity and mortality, 1 study observed increased mortality among obese patients, whereas 3 studies found lower mortality among obese patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our review of the current clinical evidence of association of obesity with sepsis mortality revealed mixed results. Clinicians are faced with a number of challenges while managing obese patients with sepsis and should be mindful of the impact of obesity on antibiotics administration, fluid resuscitation, and ventilator management. Further studies are needed to elicit the impact of obesity on mortality in patients with sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Vrinda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Chirag
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bavishi
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, New York, NY. Electronic address: RJean@chpnet.org.
authors.forename: Raymonde
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jean
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016638:Critical Illness; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: BMI; Mortality; Obesity; Sepsis; Systematic review