One-year postoperative mortality rate among the elderly with hip fractures at a single tertiary care center

BACKGROUND: Hip fractures are one of the leading causes of disability and dependency among the elderly. The rate of hip fractures has been progressively increasing due to the continuing increase in average life expectancy. Surgical intervention is the mainstay of treatment, but with an increasing prevalence of comorbid conditions and decreased functional capacity in elderly patients, more patients are prone to postoperative complications. OBJECTIVES: Assess the value of surgical intervention for hip fractures among the elderly by quantifying the 1-year mortality rate and assessing factors associated with mortality. DESIGN: Medical record review. SETTING: Tertiary care center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients 60 years of age or older who sustained a hip fracture between the period of 2008 to 2018 in a single tertiary healthcare center. Data was obtained from case files, using both electronic and paper files. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The 1-year mortality rate for hip fracture, postoperative complications and factors associated with mortality. SAMPLE SIZE: 802 patients. RESULTS: The majority of patients underwent surgical intervention (93%). Intra- and postoperative complications were 3% and 16%, respectively. Four percent of the sample died within 30 days, and 11% died within one year. In a multivariate analysis, an increased risk of 1-year mortality was associated with neck of femur fractures and postoperative complications (P=.034, <.001, respectively) CONCLUSION: The 1-year mortality risk in our study reinforces the importance of aggressive surgical intervention for hip fractures. LIMITATION: Single-centered study. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.