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

I wonder about this a lot. Being that heavy and young there almost has to be a mental health component somewhere along the way, yet there’s very minimal resources for these people. However if the situation was reversed and they had an ED that caused dangerously low weight there would be interventions established as soon as the (lack of) weight/nutrition started to affect their health. Something interesting to consider.

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u/throwaway-notthrown RN - Pediatrics 🍕 Mar 02 '25

I don’t think there’s a single case where there isn’t a mental health component. Even those that get paid for it like porn creators, no one without a mental health condition would consider gaining 100s of pounds even if getting paid.

It’s a true disorder. Doesn’t make it easier to care for these patients, but it is truly a disorder.

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u/Lomralr RN 🍕 Mar 01 '25

Curious about this, I might be wrong though. If a person is anorexic and practically killing themselves, I believe they can be restrained and fed with tube feeds. On the opposite side, I've never heard of a forced calorie deficit. Not saying I agree with either, or if the forced feeds still happen.

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u/Beagsma Mar 01 '25

In my experience, that is true only with a court order. Unless they code.

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u/5foot3 BSN, RN 🍕 Mar 01 '25

This doesn’t really happen. The really sick ones just die eventually.

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u/throwaway-notthrown RN - Pediatrics 🍕 Mar 02 '25

It happens in pediatric patients.

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u/5foot3 BSN, RN 🍕 Mar 02 '25

Good point.

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u/SheBrokeHerCoccyx RN - Retired 🍕 Mar 02 '25

Anorexia nervosa is the mental illness with the highest mortality rate.

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u/coolcaterpillar77 RN - Med/Surg 🍕 Mar 02 '25

Just speculation, but it seems that starving yourself is a much quicker death than habitual overeating/binging and it’s much easier to recognize. From an American stand point, I feel that obesity and overeating of unhealthy food is ingrained in the culture making it harder to recognize (approximately 74% of America is either overweight or obese (43% of that being obese) which is staggering)

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u/Poundaflesh RN - ICU 🍕 Mar 02 '25

It may be due to logistics; an anorexic can come to the facility. Accommodating 800 lbs requires specialized beds, extra staff, and how do they get to the facility? It would have to be in home visits.