Causes of prolonged hospital stay following low-energy fracture of the proximal femur: issues of most concern

Hip fractures are an important cause of morbidity in the elderly and represent a significant proportion of acute orthopaedic admissions. We reviewed a consecutive series of hip fractures presenting to our unit over five years, obtaining demographic and clinical data from patient's medical recor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Irish medical journal 2009-09, Vol.102 (8), p.262, 264-264
Main Authors: Dodds, M K, Mulhall, K J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Female
Femoral Fractures - complications
Femoral Fractures - surgery
Femur - injuries
Femur - surgery
Hip Fractures - complications
Hip Fractures - surgery
Humans
Ireland
Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data
Male
Postoperative Period
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Hip fractures are an important cause of morbidity in the elderly and represent a significant proportion of acute orthopaedic admissions. We reviewed a consecutive series of hip fractures presenting to our unit over five years, obtaining demographic and clinical data from patient's medical records. Patients who remained in-patient for greater than fourteen days were analyzed for reasons responsible. We reviewed 717 consecutive hip fractures. The average length of stay was 28 days. Forty-nine percent of patients stayed in hospital greater than 14 days. Reasons for prolonged stay included both medical and social reasons. Direct postoperative complications were rarely responsible for prolonged hospital stay. Hip fractures constitute a significant burden on acute trauma services. Further strategies are needed to address both medical and social reasons for prolonged stay in hospital following hip fracture, as is a prospective national hip fracture audit to quantify the burden on the Irish health service.
ISSN:0332-3102