Epidemiological and clinical study of hip fracture in hospitalized elderly patients in Shanghai, China

Summary In this study, we attempted to determine the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of hip fracture in the elderly. We find that elderly people with hip fracture have multiple comorbidities and suffer numerous complications. Introduction We attempted to explore the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of hip fracture in the elderly. Methods One thousand five hundred thirty-nine patients aged over 65 years were included in the retrospective study. From the medical records, information was gathered about pre-fracture conditions, as well as fracture type, surgical details, laboratory indicators, postoperative complications, length of stay, outcomes, and costs of hospitalization. Binary logistic regression was used to screen for potential risk factors for perioperative complications and postoperative death, and general linear models were used to determine factors that influenced the cost of surgical treatment. Results The average age of hip fracture patients in our study was 82.20 ± 6.82 years old, and the male-to-female ratio was 1:2.82. In 1356 patients who underwent hip surgery, the incidence of perioperative complications was 6.71% (91/1356), and the postoperative mortality rate was 1.11% (15/1356). Factors associated with perioperative complications were male sex, heart function class III or higher, serum albumin < 35 g/L, respiratory diseases, and perioperative blood transfusion ( P < 0.05). Perioperative blood transfusion was an independent risk factor for postoperative death after hip fracture in the elderly ( P < 0.05). The main factors that influenced hospitalization expenses related to elderly hip fracture patients were type of surgery, method of anesthesia, length of stay, perioperative complications, and outcomes ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Elderly people with hip fracture have multiple comorbidities and suffer numerous complications. Thus, randomized intervention studies should focus on prevention of complications that might be avoidable.