In the study cohort, ICU admission pectoralis muscle area (PMA) was associated with survival during and following critical illness; it was unable to predict regaining an independent lifestyle following discharge. ICU admission SAT mass was not associated with survival or other measured outcomes. PMA of patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit (MICU) is associated with survival both during and after critical illness, but is unable to predict the regaining of an independent lifestyle after hospital discharge, according to study results published in CHEST. Investigators sought to examine the association of skeletal muscle and fat mass at ICU admission with survival and disability at hospital discharge. A total of 401 patients admitted to the ICU at Albany Medical Center in New York were evaluated with respect to PMA and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). In all participants, PMA and SAT were determined by computed tomography (CT) scanning at the time of ICU admission, and were later correlated with clinical outcomes.

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