Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
September 8, 2026The Korean Journal of Internal MedicineOpen Access

Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome shows no association with in-hospital mortality among obese ICU patients.

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Why the study?

Does probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome affect mortality in obese patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit?

Population

531 obese adults admitted to the medical intensive care unit at Seoul National University Hospital between…

Comparison

Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome… vs Obese patients without probable OHS.

Design

Cohort

Follow-up

median 4.9 years

Key result

Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome was identified in 3.0% of obese patients admitted to a Korean medical ICU and was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality after adjustment (OR 0.36).

Authors

KLKyu Jin LeeHLHong Yeul LeeJLJinwoo Lee

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

Probable OHS appears underrecognized in obese medical ICU patients without mortality association; leaves open prospective studies on screening and management.

Key Points

  • To evaluate the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome among obese patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit.
  • Analyzed 531 obese adults (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m²) out of 3,660 medical intensive care unit admissions at Seoul National University Hospital in Korea between 2016 and 2023.
  • Defined probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome as obesity with chronic hypercapnia (PaCO₂ ≥ 45 mmHg and bicarbonate ≥ 27 mmol/L) without alternative causes.
  • Assessed differences in in-hospital and 90-day mortality between groups using inverse probability of treatment weighting.
  • Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome was present in 0.4% (16/3,660) of total admissions, 3.0% (16/531) of obese patients, and 6.5% (12/186) of patients with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m².
  • Most patients meeting diagnostic criteria were clinically unrecognized during admission, despite higher rates of obstructive airway disease and longer hospital stays (40 vs. 24 days, p = 0.083).
  • Inverse probability of treatment weighting-adjusted analyses demonstrated no statistically significant differences in in-hospital or 90-day mortality.

Study Design

Type

Cohort (n=531)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome affect mortality in obese patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit?

P
Population
531 obese adults (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m²) admitted to a medical intensive care unit in Korea, followed for up to 5 years to evaluate the prevalence and outcomes of probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome.
E
Exposure
Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), defined as obesity with chronic hypercapnia (PaCO₂ ≥ 45 mmHg and bicarbonate ≥ 27 mmol/L) without alternative causes.
C
Comparator
Obese patients without probable OHS (obese non-probable OHS group).
O
Outcome
In-hospital and 90-day mortality.hard clinical

Main Result

Odds Ratio: 0.36 (95% CI 0.09–1.4)

Absolute Event Rate: 18.8% vs 47.6%

p-value: p=0.139

Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome is present in 3% of obese MICU patients in Korea but is frequently unrecognized, though it was not associated with increased adjusted short-term mortality.

Limitations

  • Retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary hospital with a relatively small sample size
  • Potential for unmeasured confounding and missing variables
  • Operational definition of obesity as BMI ≥ 27 kg/m² rather than the conventional ≥ 30 kg/m²
  • Use of surrogate arterial blood gas values for awake daytime hypercapnia may lead to under-recognition in critically ill patients with mixed acid-base disorders
  • single-center study
  • retrospective nature

Cite This Study

Lee et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) (n=531). Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome vs. Obese patients without probable OHS was evaluated on In-hospital mortality (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.09-1.40, p=0.139). Probable obesity hypoventilation syndrome was identified in 3.0% of obese patients admitted to a Korean medical ICU and was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality after adjustment (OR 0.36).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9fc6ea684b366da041e521https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2026.085
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Management of Referred Case of Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome with Obstructive Sleep Apnea of Morbidly Obese Patient: A Case Report2025
  2. 2A Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome: From Diagnosis to Long-Term Management—A Narrative Review2025 · 3 citations
  3. 3Management of Acute Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure (AHRF) in Patients with Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome (OHS) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)2025
  4. 4Impact of Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obesity on Outcomes of Sepsis Complicated by Septic Shock in Elderly Patients2025
  5. 5Impact of obesity on inpatient outcomes in patients hospitalized with acute chest syndrome2025