Obesity as a Risk Factor for Nosocomial Infections in Trauma Patients
Serrano PE, Khuder SA, Fath JJ
J Am Coll Surg. 2010;211:61-67
Study Summary
What is the role of obesity as an underlying cause of sepsis in trauma patients? Serrano and colleagues conducted a retrospective study of 1024 trauma patients treated at a single level I trauma center, examining different levels of obesity in relation to nosocomial, pulmonary, and wound infections after adjustment for age, sex, comorbidities, and injury severity. Overall, obesity caused a 4.7-fold increased risk for infection after adjustment for other factors (P = .03). The increased risk associated with obesity was observed in all categories of infection.
Viewpoint
This study points out that obesity is an additional, powerful factor leading to increased infection rates after injury, even after adjustment for other comorbidities. The underlying mechanisms linking obesity to infection need to be clarified. With increasing scrutiny of hospital and surgeon-specific infection rates by outside agencies, the underlying importance of patient factors, such as obesity, is important to recognize.
Abstract