Table 2

Characteristics of the study population


Morbidly obese (n = 89)
Control (n = 338)
P value

Age (years)
51.1 ± 9.4
57.9 ± 18.1
0.02
Gender (male/female)
52/37
198/140
0.9
Body mass index (kg/m2)
48.6 ± 8.1
29.3 ± 5.3
< 0.001
Charlson index
2.1 ± 1.1
0.9 ± 1.0
< 0.001
APACHE II score
18 ± 4
19 ± 6
0.5
Reasons for ICU admission



     Obstructive lung disease
7 (8%)
51 (15%)
0.11
     Pneumonia
17 (19%)
72 (21%)
0.76
     Congestive heart failure
6 (7%)
42 (12%)
0.19
     Hypercapnic respiratory failure
15 (17%)
7 (2%)
< 0.001
     Sepsis
13 (15%)
33 (10%)
0.26
     Cerebrovascular accident
3 (4%)
17 (5%)
0.71
     Cardiothoracic/vascular surgery
6 (7%)
14 (4%)
0.45
     Non-vascular surgery
12 (13%)
47 (14%)
0.94
     Trauma/burn
8 (9%)
49 (14%)
0.24
     Others
2 (2%)
5 (1%)
0.97
Indications for tracheostomy



     Prolonged mechanical ventilation
46 (52%)
105 (31%)
< 0.001
     Failure to wean
34 (38%)
192 (57%)
0.003
     Vocal cord paralysis
0
7 (2%)
0.37
     Facial trauma
9 (10%)
24 (7%)
0.47
     Epiglottitis
0 (1%)
10 (3%)
0.21
Duration of mechanical ventilation prior to tracheotomy (days)
11.7 ± 5.2
12.8 ± 6.9
0.35
Endotracheal intubations prior to tracheostomy (days)
2 ± 1
2 ± 1
0.78

APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II; ICU, intensive care unit.

El Solh and Jaafar Critical Care 2007 11:R3   doi:10.1186/cc5147