CLINICAL STUDY OF BODY MASS INDEX ON WOUND INFECTION AND HEALING EFFECTS.

<italic>Background</italic>: Obesity, characterized by excess fat accumulation, is associated with heightened inflammation and infection risk. However, the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and wound healing remains unclear. <italic>Objective</italic>: The study aimed to explore the relationship between BMI and wound infection incidence, pathogenic bacterial strains in wounds, and wound healing promotion using different BMI values in conventional medical dressings. <italic>Methods</italic>: The study included 120 patients with traumatic and orthopedic wound infections and 40 patients with vertebral fractures to assess dressing efficacy and the influence of BMI index on healing outcomes. Wound infection incidence rates, pathogenic bacteria distribution within groups, and antibiotic resistance were identified, and their association with BMI was evaluated. Factors contributing to wound infection were analyzed. <italic>Results</italic>: The wound infection incidence rate was 30.36% without statistically significant correlation with BMI (p>0.05). A weak correlation (0.3<r<0.5) was established between the distribution of pathogenic bacterial strains with cause of trauma and BMI (0.3<r<0.5). Wound exposure time (p=0.001), wound depth (p=0.044), and hospital stay (p=0.017) were identified as independent wound infection risk factors. <italic>Conclusions</italic>: BMI exhibited a weak correlation with pathogenic bacteria distribution and negatively correlated with the degree of wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]