[Fatal respiratory failure in a morbidly obese patient]

Healthcare professionals are seeing an increasing number of morbidly obese patients. Medical interventions are often difficult to perform in these patients. In acute situations this can lead to major problems.

Assistance from a mobile medical team was requested for a 42-year-old male weighing 350 kg with severe respiratory failure. Transporting the patient was problematic due to his build. The hospital to which he was brought after hours of delay lacked the appropriate space and resources for morbidly obese patients. Since the condition of the patient deteriorated, intubation and mechanical ventilation were required. Despite additional equipments for problematic airway access, the procedure failed and the patient died due to respiratory failure.

Designating centres for care, also in the acute situations, of morbidly obese patients is recommended, to improve the care of these patients and to prevent disasters.