title: Outcomes and nursing workload related to obese patients in the intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the morbidity and mortality of patients with a body mass index (BMI) < and ≥30kg/m(2) and to identify risk factors related to death and length of stay of obese patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective and cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 35-bed mixed ICU in São Paulo, Brazil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 530 patients, of which 105 (19.8%) had a BMI ≥30kg/m(2). A significantly higher number of obese patients were female (p=0.025). The mortality, morbidity and nursing workload were not different between the obese and nonobese groups. However, the morbidly obese patients were younger (p<0.001), had a lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CI; p=0.002), lower Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS 3; p=0.047), lower Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (p=0.019), shorter ICU length of stay (LOS; p=0.015) and hospital LOS (p=0.039), and an increased mean nursing workload (Nursing Activities Score (NAS; p=0.004)). The SOFA score and nursing workload were identified as risk factors associated with death in the ICU. These two variables, in addition to the admission category and duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), were also related to the ICU LOS, which demonstrates an inverse relationship between the NAS and LOS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the morbidity, mortality and nursing workload were not significantly different between the obese and nonobese groups, our results contribute additional information to the relationship between obesity and clinical discharge and inform future research.
authors.affiliation: São Paulo Hospital - University Hospital at Federal University of São Paulo - UNIFESP, Rua Doutor Diogo de Faria, 816, 04037-002 São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: fercarrara@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Fernanda Souza Angotti
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Carrara
authors.affiliation: Paulista Nursing School, Federal University of São Paulo, UNIFESP, Rua Napoleão de Barros, 754, Vila Clementino, 04024-002 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: suelyzanei@unifesp.br.
authors.forename: Suely Sueko Viski
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zanei
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Nursing, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: maricremasco@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Mariana Fernandes
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Cremasco
authors.affiliation: Paulista Nursing School, Federal University of São Paulo, UNIFESP, Rua Napoleão de Barros, 754, Vila Clementino, 04024-002 São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: iveth.whitaker@unifesp.br.
authors.forename: Iveth Yamaguchi
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Whitaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000451:nursing*; D062072:Patient Acuity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload
keywords: Body mass index; Intensive care unit; Nursing care; Obesity; Workload