Obese Patients With COVID Stay In Intensive Care Longer - Pirogovka Doctor

Obese patients with COVID stay in intensive care longer - Pirogovka doctor

Observations of the head of the department of anesthesiology and resuscitation of the N.M. Pirogov Boris Teplykh is confirmed by Western studies.

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On his Facebook page, Boris Teplykh wrote that with a low mortality rate, resuscitation beds are occupied by stable patients with artificial lung ventilation (ALV), who need 2-3 weeks to stabilize, and new critically ill patients.

“This is especially true for patients with increased body weight. Just don't need these re-posts: "Teplykh said that covid mainly affects people with obesity." I do not say that, it strikes everyone, randomly, I think for many years later geneticists will argue why one went on the mend, and the other went to intensive care. But the fact that obese patients require longer periods of treatment in an intensive care bed is a fact. We transfer one to the wards, we get two new ones,”the doctor said.

Earlier, a group of endocrinologists from Germany and the United States published in the journal Nature the results of their study on the effect of overweight on complications from COVID-19. According to doctors, obese patients often have respiratory dysfunction, which is characterized by changes in respiratory mechanisms, increased airway resistance, impaired gas exchange, and low lung volume and muscle strength.

"Obesity is also associated with an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease and other diseases that are believed to lead to increased vulnerability to pneumonia," the doctors write.

Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named severe obesity (body mass index over 40) as a factor in the development of severe forms of COVID-19. In this case, it is recommended to switch to remote operation mode and self-isolate.