Black Race and Body Mass Index Are Risk Factors for Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Kidney Injury in Trauma

Purpose: Obesity has been shown in a single-center study to be a risk factor for rhabdomyolysis. More recently, sickle cell trait, known to be more prevalent in blacks, has been shown to be a risk factor for rhabdomyolysis. We hypothesized that in trauma patients, black race and a higher body mass index (BMI) are associated with risk for rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury (AKI). Materials and Methods: The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) was queried (2013–2015) to identify patients age ≥18 years and grouped by BMI: normal (18.5–24.99 kg/m2), underweight (16.5–18.49 kg/m2), overweight (25–29.99 kg/m2), obese (30–34.99 kg/m2), severely obese (35–39.99 kg/m2), and morbidly obese (≥40 kg/m2). A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess whether a higher BMI or black race was associated with rhabdomyolysis or AKI. Results: After adjusting for covariates, severe obesity (odds ratio (OR) = 1.42, confidence interval (CI) = 1.01–1.99, p