Mise au point Prise en charge des patients obèses en réanimation . Aspects physiopathologiques et thérapeutiques Management of obese patients in the intensive care unit . Pathophysiological and therapeutic aspects

Obesity is a major public health challenge in terms of morbidity and mortality. As obesity increases exponentially and bariatric procedures become more popular, because obesity is an important risk factor for many diseases, it is not surprising that obese patients constitute an everincreasing portion of patients admitted to the intensive care units. Thus, the knowledge of fundamental issues associated with obesity is essential to effectively manage and improve the outcome of this rapidly growing population. The purpose of this article is to review the main pathophysiologic concepts related to the treatment of obese patients in the critical care setting. © 2006 Société de réanimation de langue française. Publié par Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés. Mots clés : Obésité ; Réanimation ; Physiopathologie