BMI vs Percent Body Fat for Predicting Wound Infections
Waisbren E, Rosen H, Bader AM, Lipsitz SR, Rogers SO Jr, Eriksson E
J Am Coll Surg. 2010;210:381-389
The authors studied the relationship between wound infection and body fat. Body fat was measured using 2 different methods -- body mass index (BMI) measurements and percent body fat determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. The study group consisted of 591 patients younger than 65 years of age undergoing elective surgery. The overall wound infection rate was 12%. The wound infection rate steadily increased to approximately 20% when obesity was measured as percent body fat; BMI was a much weaker predictor of wound infection. In a multivariate model adjusting for factors known to cause wound infection, percent body fat was associated with a 5.3-fold increased risk for wound infection (P = .03), whereas BMI was not significantly associated with wound infection.
This study suggests that percent body fat is a much more reliable predictor of the likelihood of wound infection in obese persons than BMI. Clinicians are accustomed to obtaining and using BMI measurements, but this report and several other prior reports suggest that BMI is an unreliable predictor of wound infection. Percent body fat can be quickly, easily, and inexpensively measured with bioelectrical impedance. Because this is the only report on percent body fat and wound infection, additional studies are needed to confirm the value of this technique.
Abstract
Percent Body Fat and Prediction of Surgical Site Infection
Waisbren E, Rosen H, Bader AM, Lipsitz SR, Rogers SO Jr, Eriksson E
J Am Coll Surg. 2010;210:381-389
Summary
The authors studied the relationship between wound infection and body fat. Body fat was measured using 2 different methods -- body mass index (BMI) measurements and percent body fat determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. The study group consisted of 591 patients younger than 65 years of age undergoing elective surgery. The overall wound infection rate was 12%. The wound infection rate steadily increased to approximately 20% when obesity was measured as percent body fat; BMI was a much weaker predictor of wound infection. In a multivariate model adjusting for factors known to cause wound infection, percent body fat was associated with a 5.3-fold increased risk for wound infection (P = .03), whereas BMI was not significantly associated with wound infection.
Viewpoint
This study suggests that percent body fat is a much more reliable predictor of the likelihood of wound infection in obese persons than BMI. Clinicians are accustomed to obtaining and using BMI measurements, but this report and several other prior reports suggest that BMI is an unreliable predictor of wound infection. Percent body fat can be quickly, easily, and inexpensively measured with bioelectrical impedance. Because this is the only report on percent body fat and wound infection, additional studies are needed to confirm the value of this technique.
Abstract
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