There have been plenty of stories detailing how difficult it is to treat the morbidly obese.
Most of the time, the stories have centered on simply how difficult it is to transport these patients to the hospital.
Once there, however, emergency physician Shadowfax talks about other issues. For instance, obtaining IV access is near impossible, and 500+ pound patients present grave challenges to securing an airway, managing ventilation, or performing other procedures.
In addition to these issues, he also notes that, “there seems to be an association, not 100% but a strong association, between severe obesity and personality disorders and other psychiatric conditions that makes the interpersonal element of caring for them difficult on top of all the other technical challenges.”
As more Americans are crossing the threshold into morbid obesity, expect this phenomenon to only become prevelant in the hospital setting.
