Obese victims at greater risk of dying from crashes and other accidents

From: Kenny (foryou_at_futurewebhost.com)
Date: 09/21/04 

Date: 21 Sep 2004 02:01:07 -0000

Tue 21 Sep 2004
   
Obese victims at greater risk of dying from crashes and other accidents

RHIANNON EDWARD

OBESE people who are the victims of car crashes or other accidents are
significantly more likely to die of their injuries than other patients,
research claimed today.

A United States study focused on almost 250 patients who were admitted to
intensive care after a blunt trauma incident, dividing them into obese and
non-obese groups.

The researchers, writing in the journal The Archives of Surgery, concluded:
"Obesity, as an independent risk factor, carries a nearly six-fold increase
in mortality rate."

The team, from Los Angeles County and the University of Southern California
Medical Centre, set out to investigate the relationship between obesity and
outcomes for severe trauma patients.

They noted how obesity could interfere with the body’s response to injury.

"Obesity makes airway management more challenging, surgical exposures more
difficult and radiographic imaging less reliable," the researchers added.

Of the 242 patients admitted to intensive care during the study, 63 (26 per
cent) were obese - classed as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or
above.

Regardless of weight, the researchers said both groups were similar in age,
degree of injury and severity. The overall death rate among the patients
was 20 per cent.

The researchers said: "The obese group had a higher incidence of multiple
organ failure (13 per cent versus 3 per cent) and mortality (32 per cent
versus 16 per cent)."

They said that the study had important implications for obese patients,
suggesting that they be considered a group at high risk of death after a
severe trauma.

Levels of obesity in both the US and UK have soared in recent years. More
than half of the UK population is either overweight or obese.

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