HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Epstein, A M Articles by Hoefer, M Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Epstein, A M Articles by Hoefer, M

The relation of body weight to length of stay and charges for hospital services for patients undergoing elective surgery: a study of two procedures.

A M Epstein, J L Read and M Hoefer

We studied the relation of body weight to lengths of stay and total charges for all patients hospitalized at the Brigham and Women's Hospital for total knee replacement and total hip replacement during a 12-month period. Patients with moderate obesity (actual body weight 141-170 per cent of ideal) had lengths of stay and total charges similar to normal weight patients (body weight 100-110 per cent ideal). However, patients who were extremely overweight (body weight greater than or equal to 188 per cent ideal) had mean lengths of stay 35 per cent longer (28.9 days vs 21.5) and total charges 30 per cent higher ($25,692 vs $19,576) than patients with normal weight. Those who were extremely underweight (body weight less than or equal to 75 per cent ideal) had mean lengths of stay 40 per cent longer (30.1 days vs 21.5) and total charges 35 per cent higher ($26,447 vs $19,576).

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Pichard, U. G Kyle, A. Morabia, A. Perrier, B. Vermeulen, and P. Unger Nutritional assessment: lean body mass depletion at hospital admission is associated with an increased length of stay Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2004; 79(4): 613 - 618. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]