Obesity and the Risk of Early Admission to the Intensive Care Unit in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

1.1. Introduction: Obesity is a significant risk factor for severe complications in COVID-19 patients. However, its relationship with admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) remains inadequately explored. This study aims to determine the association between obesity and early ICU admission in COVID-19 patients. 1.2. Objective: To evaluate the association between obesity and the risk of early ICU admission in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, aiming to enhance understanding of the factors influencing the clinical progression of the disease and the development of severe complications. 1.3. Patients and Methods: An ambispective cohort observational study was conducted on COVID-19 patients treated between March 2020 and September 2021 at a tertiary-level hospital in Santander, Colombia. Patients were classified as obese according to the BMI (≥ 30 kg/m²). The association between obesity and ICU admission was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. 1.4. Results: A total of 734 patients were included; 53.81% were male, with a mean age of 60.77 years (SD: 15.20). Of these, 28.34% had a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², and 24.8% required ICU admission. The 22-day survival rate was 67%. Obesity had a Hazard Ratio (HR) of 1.51 [95% CI 1.11 - 2.06], and male sex had an HR of 1.71 [95% CI 1.26 - 2.32]. 1.5. Conclusion: Obesity is related to an increased probability of ICU hospitalization and therefore worse adverse outcomes; findings that correlate with the outcomes of this group of patients in other viral respiratory infections. These finding emphasize the need for targeted preventive and management strategies to reduce burden of disease.