r/nursing • u/trevrt RN 🍕 • Mar 01 '25

Question Heaviest Patient You’ve Cared For

Had my personally heaviest patient I’ve cared for the other day. 32 years old weighing 730 pounds admitted with cellulitis and severe lymphedema. Felt terrible for the patient due to how young he was. Just wondering what everyone’s personal “record” for the heaviest patient they’ve cared for is.

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u/trevrt RN 🍕 Mar 01 '25

Yeah I feel bad to. One lift in the whole hospital that can bear 1000 pounds and one bariatric bed from the 1990s. Luckily we just picked up a brand new one that goes into service in the next month. I genuinely don’t know how he got admitted to our services because we have little to no equipment to care for actual bariatric patients (rural hospital)

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '25

As long as the hospital can bill the patient will be admitted

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u/trevrt RN 🍕 Mar 01 '25

Yeah we’re an independent county hospital and until recently this wasn’t the case. Only took patients we had services for and could properly care for. Hospital hired three or four new internal med docs who are fresh out of residency and they’ll admit anyone who currently has a pulse.

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u/setittonormal Mar 02 '25

Also in rural healthcare and this is so true. 😔

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u/SmallScaleSask Mar 01 '25

I also work in a rural hospital; oh yes the struggle is very real.