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Overweight and Obese Pediatric Patients Have an Increased Risk of Developing a Surgical Site Infection

Brian P Blackwood1,2, Colin D Gause1, Jamie C Harris2

  • 11 Department of Pediatric Surgery, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago , Chicago, Illinois.

Surgical Infections
|December 24, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Overweight and obese children have a higher risk of surgical site infections (SSIs). Elevated body mass index (BMI) is a significant risk factor for pediatric SSIs, impacting patient counseling.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Public Health
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a concern in pediatric surgery.
  • The role of obesity as a risk factor for SSIs in children is not well-established.
  • Existing data primarily focuses on adult populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of developing SSIs in pediatric surgical patients.
  • To identify specific surgical sub-specialties and procedures with higher SSI rates in relation to BMI.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric (NSQIP-P) database and single-center reviews.
  • Classified pediatric patients (ages 2-18) into BMI categories: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese.
  • Performed multivariable analysis to identify risk factors for SSIs, including BMI and comorbidities.

Main Results:

  • Analysis of 66,671 patients revealed that overweight and obese BMIs were significant risk factors for SSIs (OR 1.23 and 1.43, respectively).
  • Superficial incisional SSIs were most common in overweight and obese children.
  • Pediatric general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery showed the highest SSI rates; appendectomy was the most frequent procedure associated with SSIs.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated BMI is a significant risk factor for surgical site infections in pediatric patients.
  • Findings underscore the importance of considering BMI in pre-operative risk assessment and counseling for pediatric surgical patients and their families.
Abstract

Keywords:
body mass indexobesityoverweightrisk factorsurgical site infection

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