Association of Body Mass Index With In-Hospital Complications After Abdominal Firearm Injury

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Obesity Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Body Mass Index (BMI) is readily available in trauma care.
• The association between BMI and complications after abdominal firearm injury is not well understood.
• This study investigates BMI's role in trauma outcomes for these patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between BMI and trauma outcomes.
• To determine if BMI can be used for early risk stratification in abdominal firearm injury.
• To assess complications such as acute kidney injury (AKI) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the 2022 American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS-TQIP) database.
• Inclusion of adult patients with abdominal firearm injury and abdominal AIS ≥2.
• Stratification of patients into BMI classes: normal, overweight, and obesity classes I, II, and III.

Main Results:

• Higher BMI correlated with increased in-hospital morbidity and longer hospital stays.
• Obesity classes I, II, and III were associated with higher odds of AKI.
• Overweight and obesity classes I and II showed increased odds of DVT; severe sepsis was linked to obesity classes I and III.

Conclusions:

• Elevated BMI is associated with increased thromboembolic, infectious, and renal complications post-abdominal firearm injury.
• Despite similar injury severity, higher BMI predicts adverse outcomes.
• BMI serves as a practical tool for early risk stratification and targeted interventions in trauma care.