1 year mortality after hip fracture in an Irish urban trauma centre.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture accounts for a considerable burden of disease in older adults, yet there is a paucity of data pertaining to longer-term outcomes in the Irish Hip Fracture population. Understanding the factors that influence longer-term survival would allow care pathways to be refined to optimise patient outcomes. In Ireland, there is no linkage to death registration at a national or regional level, nor are longer-term outcomes captured by the Irish Hip Fracture Database. This study aimed to quantify 1-year mortality in an Irish hip fracture cohort and identify factors that influence survival at 1 year. METHODS: A retrospective review of hip fracture cases in an Irish urban trauma centre over a 5-year period was conducted. Mortality status was obtained via the Inpatient Management System and correlated with the Irish Death Events Register. A range of routinely collected patient and care process variables were analysed using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 833 patients were included. Within 1 year of sustaining a hip fracture, 20.5% (171/833) had died. On multivariate analysis, female gender (OR 0.36, p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.23-0.57), independent mobility pre-fracture (OR 0.24, p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.14-0.41) and early mobilisation on the day of or after surgery (OR 0.48, p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.30-0.77) reduced the likelihood of dying within 1 year (AUC 0.78). CONCLUSION: Of the variables examined, early postoperative mobilisation was the only modifiable factor identified that conferred a longer-term survival benefit. This underscores the importance of adhering to international best practice standards for early postoperative mobilisation.

Development of a Frailty Index in the Irish Hip Fracture Database.

INTRODUCTION: In older people, hip fracture can lead to adverse outcomes. Frailty, capturing biological age and vulnerability to stressors, can indicate those at higher risk. We derived a frailty index (FI) in the Irish Hip Fracture Database (IHFD) and explored associations with prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS ≥ 30 days), delirium, inpatient mortality and new nursing home admission. We assessed whether the FI predicted those outcomes independently of age, sex and pre-operative American Society of Anaesthesiology (ASA) score. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 21-item FI was constructed with 17 dichotomous co-morbidities, three 4-level ordinal pre-morbid functional variables (difficulty with indoor mobility, outdoor mobility, and shopping) and nursing home provenance (yes/no). The FI was computed as the proportion of items present and divided into tertiles (low, medium, high risk). Independent associations between FI and outcomes were explored with logistic regression, from which we extracted adjusted Odds Ratios (aOR) and Areas Under the Curve (AUC). RESULTS: From 2017 to 2020, the IHFD included 14,615 hip fracture admissions, mean (SD) age 80.4 (8.8), 68.9% women. Complete FI data were available for 12,502 (85.5%). By FI tertile (low to high risk), prolonged LOS proportions were 5.9%, 16.1% and 23.1%; delirium 5.5%, 13.5% and 17.6%; inpatient mortality 0.6%, 3.3% and 10.1%; and new nursing home admission 2.2%, 5.9% and 11.3%. All associations were statistically significant (p < 0.001) independently of age and sex. AUC analyses showed that the FI score, added to age, sex, and ASA score, significantly improved the prediction of delirium and new nursing home admission (p < 0.05), and especially prolonged LOS and inpatient mortality (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A 21-item FI in the IHFD was a significant predictor of outcomes and added value to traditional risk markers. The utility of a routinely derived FI to more effectively direct limited orthogeriatric resources requires prospective investigation.

Impact of COVID-19 on hip fracture care in Ireland: findings from the Irish Hip Fracture Database.

PURPOSE: To describe the impact of COVID-19 on hip fracture care during the first 6 months of the pandemic. METHODS: A secondary analysis of 4385 cases in the Irish Hip Fracture Database from 1st June 2019 to 31st August 2020 was conducted. RESULTS: Hip fracture admissions decreased by 15% during the study period (p < 0.001). Patient characteristics were largely unchanged as the majority of cases occurred in females over 80 years admitted from home. Adherence to many of the Irish Hip Fracture Standards (IHFS) changed following the COVID-19 pandemic. There was an increase in patients admitted to an orthopaedic ward from Emergency Department (ED) within 4 h from 27 to 36% (p < 0.001). However, the proportion of patients reviewed by a geriatrician reduced from 85% pre-COVID to 80% (p < 0.001). Fewer patients received a bone health assessment [90% from 95% (p < 0.001)] and specialist falls assessment [(82% from 88% (p < 0.001)]. No change was seen in time to surgery or incidence of pressure injuries. There was a significant decrease in length of stay from 18 to 14 days (p < 0.001). There was an increase in patients discharged home during the COVID-19 period and a decrease in patients discharged to rehabilitation, convalescence or nursing home care. There was no statistically significant change in mortality. CONCLUSION: Healthcare services were widely restructured during the pandemic, which had implications for hip fracture patients. There was a notable change in compliance with the IHFS. Multidisciplinary teams involved in hip fracture care should be preserved throughout any subsequent waves of the pandemic.

Early mobilisation reduces the risk of in-hospital mortality following hip fracture.

PURPOSE: Hip fractures are associated with considerable morbidity, excess mortality, and significant healthcare expenditure. There are approximately 3700 hip fractures in Ireland per annum and this figure is set to rise in the next decade in parallel with the ageing population. Approximately 5% of patients who sustain a hip fracture will die in hospital, with less than half of survivors regaining their pre-operative level of function. The authors aimed to identify the determinants of in-hospital mortality post-hip fracture in Ireland 2013-2017. METHODS: A secondary analysis of 15,603 patients in the Irish Hip Fracture Database (IHFD) was conducted. Both descriptive and analytical statistics were produced. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was carried out. RESULTS: 31% (n = 4796) of patients were male and 69% (n = 10,807) were female. Mean age for males was 75 years (SD 13.5) and 79 years for females (SD 10.5). Median in-hospital mortality was 4.7% (n = 711) (range 2.7-6.2). Univariate logistic regression revealed 11 statistically significant predictors of in-hospital mortality; however, only four remained statistically significant on multivariate analysis [not mobilised day of/after surgery (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.25-1.70, p < 0.001), independent mobility pre-fracture (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.79-0.89, p < 0.001), female gender (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.41-0.76, p < 0.001), and older age (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.06, p < 0.01)]. CONCLUSION: Older males with poor pre-fracture mobility who were not mobilised on the day of/after surgery had the highest risk of in-hospital mortality. This research supports the adoption of early mobilisation (day of/after surgery) as a new formal hip fracture standard in keeping with best international practice.

Computed tomography dose optimisation in cystic fibrosis: A review.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal recessive disease of the Caucasian population worldwide, with respiratory disease remaining the most relevant source of morbidity and mortality. Computed tomography (CT) is frequently used for monitoring disease complications and progression. Over the last fifteen years there has been a six-fold increase in the use of CT, which has lead to a growing concern in relation to cumulative radiation exposure. The challenge to the medical profession is to identify dose reduction strategies that meet acceptable image quality, but fulfil the requirements of a diagnostic quality CT. Dose-optimisation, particularly in CT, is essential as it reduces the chances of patients receiving cumulative radiation doses in excess of 100 mSv, a dose deemed significant by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. This review article explores the current trends in imaging in CF with particular emphasis on new developments in dose optimisation.