More than one-third of the US adult population and 17% of the youth are now obese, and obesity is associated with more than $147 billion a year in health care costs. Critical care nurses should understand the physiological differences and practice guidelines for patients with a body mass index greater than 30. The ABCD approach encompasses key clinical concepts in the management of critically ill obese and morbidly obese patients, including management of airways and breathing, minimizing nurses’ back and other injuries, increasing awareness of bias, circulation problems, risks of decubitus ulcers and other skin breakdown, differences in drug calculations and metabolism, limitations in diagnostic equipment and imaging, diet and nutritional recommendations, and concerns with durable medical equipment.
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1 October 2016
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October 01 2016
The ABCDs of Managing Morbidly Obese Patients in Intensive Care Units
Luis A. Berrios, DNP, MHA, ANP-BC, CCRN
Luis A. Berrios is the director of nonphysician practitioners at Baptist Health System, San Antonio, Texas, and the chief of education and training and senior critical care nurse, 433rd Medical Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Texas.
Corresponding author: Luis A. Berrios, dnp, mha, anp-bc, ccrn, 19026 Stone Oak Pkwy, Suite 100, San Antonio, TX 78258 (e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected])
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Crit Care Nurse (2016) 36 (5): 17–26.
Citation
Luis A. Berrios; The ABCDs of Managing Morbidly Obese Patients in Intensive Care Units. Crit Care Nurse 1 October 2016; 36 (5): 17–26. doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2016671
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