Mechanical Ventilation of Patients with Severe Obesity

In recent years, obesity has become endemic in developed countries. Medical care of the obese patient is extremely challenging, especially critically ill obese individuals. The challenge of providing medical care to obese patients is multifactorial and stems from difficulty performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, difficulty providing logistical support, and the necessity of extrapolating data usually obtained from the study of leaner populations. Obesity affects respiratory physiology and also predisposes to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). As a result, patients with obesity may be at higher risk for respiratory failure and greater duration of mechanical ventilation.