Prone Position in Obese Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome After Cardio-Thoracic Surgery

This study compared the effects and complications of prone positioning (PP) in obese vs non-obese patients with moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome after cardiothoracic surgery. A retrospective analysis was conducted using a database established between 2014 and 2021 in an intensive care unit, with the primary endpoint being the change in PaO2/FiO2 induced by PP in groups with and without obesity (body mass index >30 kg/m2). A total of 81 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (36 with vs 45 without obesity) and 189 PP sessions were included. This study found that the improvement of oxygenation was not statistically different between patients with and without obesity. However, pressure ulcers were more common in the obese group, whereas mediastinitis was not significantly different between the groups.