Prognostic prediction in patients with hip fracture: risk factors predicting difficulties with discharge to own home

BACKGROUND: Little is known about risk factors that may prevent hip fracture patients from being discharged to home. The present study was developed to investigate possible prognostic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 345 patients with hip fracture treated at our hospital since 1997, who were living at home before the injury. There were 84 males and 261 females. Mean age at injury was 81.6 years. Fracture type was femoral neck fracture in 152 patients and trochanteric fracture in 193. Patients were divided into those who were discharged to home (home discharge group) and those who were discharged to rehabilitation facilities or died in hospital (non-home discharge group). Gender, age at admission, fracture type, and other factors were investigated. Multivariate analysis was conducted on these variables for the home discharge and non-home discharge groups. RESULTS: There were 202 patients (58.6%) in the home discharge group and 143 patients (41.4%) in the non-home discharge group. The factors significantly associated with not achieving the goal of discharge to home were age 85 years or above [odds ratio (OR) = 1.79, P = 0.0204], chronic systemic diseases (OR = 1.77, p = 0.0225), dementia (OR = 3.17, P < 0.0001), and walking disability before injury (OR = 5.70, P = 0.0328). CONCLUSIONS: In elderly patients with hip fracture, the risk factors that predict difficulties with discharge to home include age at admission, concomitant chronic systemic diseases and dementia, and walking disability before injury.