Key result
Prompt surgical stabilization of hip fractures in a general hospital reduced 16-week mortality to 28%, compared to over 50% with standard surgical or non-operative treatment.
Why the study?
Does prompt internal stabilization reduce mortality in institutionalized senile patients with hip fractures compared to non-operative treatment?
Cohort (n=150)
Yes
Does prompt internal stabilization reduce mortality in institutionalized senile patients with hip fractures compared to non-operative treatment?
Absolute Event Rate: 28% vs 50%
Prompt surgical stabilization of hip fractures in institutionalized elderly patients significantly reduces mortality compared to non-operative treatment.
High mortality persists in institutionalized senile hip fracture patients regardless of surgical or nonoperative care; leaves open optimal management and requires prospective trials.
Institutionalized senile patients with hip fractures have a high mortality regardless of whether treatment consists of internal stabilization or is non-operative. In an effort to select the best therapeutic approach in this type of patient, 150 patients were examined in 3 comparable groups. In the first group of 50 patients treatment consisted of surgical stabilization of the fracture. In the second group of 45 patients treatment was non-operative; mortality in these 2 groups was over 50% at the end of 16 weeks. In an effort to improve this degree of risk we transferred 53 patients from the psychiatric hospital to a general hospital for prompt internal stabilization of the hip fractures. There was a striking decrease in mortality to 28% in the third group. We have concluded that under optimal conditions, prompt surgical stabilization of hip fractures in elderly senile individuals offers them the best opportunity of surviving the injury and is preferable to nontreatment.
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Sherk et al. (1979) conducted a cohort in Hip fractures (n=150). Prompt internal stabilization in a general hospital vs. Non-operative treatment or standard surgical stabilization was evaluated on Mortality at 16 weeks. Prompt surgical stabilization of hip fractures in a general hospital reduced 16-week mortality to 28%, compared to over 50% with standard surgical or non-operative treatment.