COVID‐19 during the index hospital admission confers a ‘double‐hit’ effect on hip fracture patients and is associated with a two‐fold increase in 1‐year mortality risk

PURPOSE: The aims were to: (1) determine 1‐year mortality rates for hip fracture patients during the first UK COVID‐19 wave, and (2) assess mortality risk associated with COVID‐19. METHODS: A nationwide multicentre cohort study was conducted of all patients presenting to 17 hospitals in March‐April 2020. Follow‐up data were collected one year after initial hip fracture (‘index’) admission, including: COVID‐19 status, readmissions, mortality, and cause of death. RESULTS: Data were available for 788/833 (94.6%) patients. One‐year mortality was 242/788 (30.7%), and the prevalence of COVID‐19 within 365 days of admission was 142/788 (18.0%). One‐year mortality was higher for patients with COVID‐19 (46.5% vs. 27.2%; p < 0.001), and highest for those COVID‐positive during index admission versus after discharge (54.7% vs. 39.7%; p = 0.025). Anytime COVID‐19 was independently associated with 50% increased mortality risk within a year of injury (HR 1.50, p = 0.006); adjusted mortality risk doubled (HR 2.03, p < 0.001) for patients COVID‐positive during index admission. No independent association was observed between mortality risk and COVID‐19 diagnosed following discharge (HR 1.16, p = 0.462). Most deaths (56/66; 84.8%) in COVID‐positive patients occurred within 30 days of COVID‐19 diagnosis (median 11.0 days). Most cases diagnosed following discharge from the admission hospital occurred in downstream hospitals. CONCLUSION: Almost half the patients that had COVID‐19 within 365 days of fracture had died within one year of injury versus 27.2% of COVID‐negative patients. Only COVID‐19 diagnosed during the index admission was associated independently with an increased likelihood of death, indicating that infection during this time may represent a ‘double‐hit’ insult, and most COVID‐related deaths occurred within 30 days of diagnosis.