Clinical study
In-hospital mortality in the pickwickian syndrome

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Abstract

Ten patients were observed during 11 episodes of progressive ventilatory failure secondary to gross obesity in a 5 year interval in one hospital. In-hospital mortality was high; seven patients died. Three deaths were related to hypoventilation. Despite effective therapy of ventilatory failure with improvement in clinical status and blood gases, four other patients died, three of pulmonary embolism and one of acute renal failure. In addition, in one surviving patient transitory renal failure developed. In treating patients with the Pickwickian syndrome, close surveillance, prompt recourse to supported ventilation and prophylactic anticoagulation are mandatory. Unexpected death may occur despite clinical and physiologic improvement.

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    • Cited by (0)

    1

    From the Section of Chest Diseases, Department of Medicine of The Mount Sinai Hospital Services-City Hospital Center at Elmhurst and The Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York, New York, New York.

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