Comparative Analysis of Frailty Scores for Predicting Adverse Outcomes in Hip Fracture Patients: Insights from the United States National Inpatient Sample.

The aim of the current investigation was to compare the ability of several frailty scores to predict adverse outcomes in hip fracture patients. All adult patients (18 years or older) who suffered a hip fracture due to a fall and underwent surgical fixation were extracted from the 2019 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Database. A combination of logistic regression and bootstrapping was used to compare the predictive ability of the Orthopedic Frailty Score (OFS), the Nottingham Hip Fracture Score (NHFS), the 11-factor modified Frailty Index (11-mFI) and 5-factor (5-mFI) modified Frailty Index, as well as the Johns Hopkins Frailty Indicator. A total of 227,850 patients were extracted from the NIS. In the prediction of in-hospital mortality and failure-to-rescue (FTR), the OFS surpassed all other frailty measures, approaching an acceptable predictive ability for mortality [AUC (95% CI): 0.69 (0.67-0.72)] and achieving an acceptable predictive ability for FTR [AUC (95% CI): 0.70 (0.67-0.72)]. The NHFS demonstrated the highest predictive ability for predicting any complication [AUC (95% CI): 0.62 (0.62-0.63)]. The 11-mFI exhibited the highest predictive ability for cardiovascular complications [AUC (95% CI): 0.66 (0.64-0.67)] and the NHFS achieved the highest predictive ability for delirium [AUC (95% CI): 0.69 (0.68-0.70)]. No score succeeded in effectively predicting venous thromboembolism or infections. In summary, the investigated frailty scores were most effective in predicting in-hospital mortality and failure-to-rescue; however, they struggled to predict complications.

Prioritizing patients for hip fracture surgery: the role of frailty and cardiac risk.

Introduction: The number of patients with hip fractures continues to rise as the average age of the population increases. Optimizing outcomes in this cohort is predicated on timely operative repair. The aim of this study was to determine if patients with hip fractures who are frail or have a higher cardiac risk suffer from an increased risk of in-hospital mortality when surgery is postponed >24 h. Methods: All patients registered in the 2013-2021 TQIP dataset who were ≥65 years old and underwent surgical fixation of an isolated hip fracture caused by a ground-level fall were included. Adjustment for confounding was performed using inverse probability weighting (IPW) while stratifying for frailty with the Orthopedic Frailty Score (OFS) and cardiac risk using the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI). The outcome was presented as the absolute risk difference in in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 254,400 patients were included. After IPW, all confounders were balanced. A delay in surgery was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality across all strata, and, as the degree of frailty and cardiac risk increased, so too did the risk of mortality. In patients with OFS ≥4, delaying surgery >24 h was associated with a 2.33 percentage point increase in the absolute mortality rate (95% CI: 0.57-4.09, p = 0.010), resulting in a number needed to harm (NNH) of 43. Furthermore, the absolute risk of mortality increased by 4.65 percentage points in patients with RCRI ≥4 who had their surgery delayed >24 h (95% CI: 0.90-8.40, p = 0.015), resulting in a NNH of 22. For patients with OFS 0 and RCRI 0, the corresponding NNHs when delaying surgery >24 h were 345 and 333, respectively. Conclusion: Delaying surgery beyond 24 h from admission increases the risk of mortality for all geriatric hip fracture patients. The magnitude of the negative impact increases with the patient's level of cardiac risk and frailty. Operative intervention should not be delayed based on frailty or cardiac risk.

Investigating the link between frailty and outcomes in geriatric patients with isolated rib fractures.

Background: Studies have shown an increased risk of morbidity in elderly patients suffering rib fractures from blunt trauma. The association between frailty and rib fractures on adverse outcomes is still ill-defined. In the current investigation, we sought to delineate the association between frailty, measured using the Orthopedic Frailty Score (OFS), and outcomes in geriatric patients with isolated rib fractures. Methods: All geriatric (aged 65 years or older) patients registered in the 2013-2019 Trauma Quality Improvement database with a conservatively managed isolated rib fracture were considered for inclusion. An isolated rib fracture was defined as the presence of ≥1 rib fracture, a thorax Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) between 1 and 5, an AIS ≤1 in all other regions, as well as the absence of pneumothorax, hemothorax, or pulmonary contusion. Based on patients' OFS, patients were classified as non-frail (OFS 0), pre-frail (OFS 1), or frail (OFS ≥2). The prevalence ratio (PR) of composite complications, in-hospital mortality, failure-to-rescue (FTR), and intensive care unit (ICU) admission between the OFS groups was determined using Poisson regression models to adjust for potential confounding. Results: A total of 65 375 patients met the study's inclusion criteria of whom 60% were non-frail, 29% were pre-frail, and 11% were frail. There was a stepwise increased risk of complications, in-hospital mortality, and FTR from non-frail to pre-frail and frail. Compared with non-frail patients, frail patients exhibited a 87% increased risk of in-hospital mortality [adjusted PR (95% CI): 1.87 (1.52-2.31), p<0.001], a 44% increased risk of complications [adjusted PR (95% CI): 1.44 (1.23-1.67), p<0.001], a doubling in the risk of FTR [adjusted PR (95% CI): 2.08 (1.45-2.98), p<0.001], and a 17% increased risk of ICU admission [adjusted PR (95% CI): 1.17 (1.11-1.23), p<0.001]. Conclusion: There is a strong association between frailty, measured using the OFS, and adverse outcomes in geriatric patients managed conservatively for rib fractures.

Cardiac risk stratification and adverse outcomes in surgically managed patients with isolated traumatic spine injuries.

INTRODUCTION: As the incidence of traumatic spine injuries has been steadily increasing, especially in the elderly, the ability to categorize patients based on their underlying risk for the adverse outcomes could be of great value in clinical decision making. This study aimed to investigate the association between the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) and adverse outcomes in patients who have undergone surgery for traumatic spine injuries. METHODS: All adult patients (18 years or older) in the 2013-2019 TQIP database with isolated spine injuries resulting from blunt force trauma, who underwent spinal surgery, were eligible for inclusion in the study. The association between the RCRI and in-hospital mortality, cardiopulmonary complications, and failure-to-rescue (FTR) was determined using Poisson regression models with robust standard errors to adjust for potential confounding. RESULTS: A total of 39,391 patients were included for further analysis. In the regression model, an RCRI ≥ 3 was associated with a threefold risk of in-hospital mortality [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 3.19 (2.30-4.43), p < 0.001] and cardiopulmonary complications [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 3.27 (2.46-4.34), p < 0.001], as well as a fourfold risk of FTR [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 4.27 (2.59-7.02), p < 0.001], compared to RCRI 0. The risk of all adverse outcomes increased stepwise along with each RCRI score. CONCLUSION: The RCRI may be a useful tool for identifying patients with traumatic spine injuries who are at an increased risk of in-hospital mortality, cardiopulmonary complications, and failure-to-rescue after surgery.

Sex disparities in adverse outcomes after surgically managed isolated traumatic spinal injury.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic spinal injury (TSI) encompasses a wide range of injuries affecting the spinal cord, nerve roots, bones, and soft tissues that result in pain, impaired mobility, paralysis, and death. There is some evidence suggesting that women may have different physiological responses to traumatic injury compared to men; therefore, this study aimed to investigate if there are any associations between sex and adverse outcomes following surgically managed isolated TSI. METHODS: Using the 2013-2019 TQIP database, all adult patients with isolated TSI, defined as a spine AIS ≥ 2 with an AIS ≤ 1 in all other body regions, resulting from blunt force trauma requiring spinal surgery, were eligible for inclusion in the study. The association between the sex and in-hospital mortality as well as cardiopulmonary and venothromboembolic complications was determined by calculating the risk ratio (RR) after adjusting for potential confounding using inverse probability weighting. RESULTS: A total of 43,756 patients were included. After adjusting for potential confounders, female sex was associated with a 37% lower risk of in-hospital mortality [adjusted RR (95% CI): 0.63 (0.57-0.69), p < 0.001], a 27% lower risk of myocardial infarction [adjusted RR (95% CI): 0.73 (0.56-0.95), p = 0.021], a 37% lower risk of cardiac arrest [adjusted RR (95% CI): 0.63 (0.55-0.72), p < 0.001], a 34% lower risk of deep vein thrombosis [adjusted RR (95% CI): 0.66 (0.59-0.74), p < 0.001], a 45% lower risk of pulmonary embolism [adjusted RR (95% CI): 0.55 (0.46-0.65), p < 0.001], a 36% lower risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome [adjusted RR (95% CI): 0.64 (0.54-0.76), p < 0.001], a 34% lower risk of pneumonia [adjusted RR (95% CI): 0.66 (0.60-0.72), p < 0.001], and a 22% lower risk of surgical site infection [adjusted RR (95% CI): 0.78 (0.62-0.98), p < 0.032], compared to male sex. CONCLUSION: Female sex is associated with a significantly decreased risk of in-hospital mortality as well as cardiopulmonary and venothromboembolic complications following surgical management of traumatic spinal injuries. Further studies are needed to elucidate the cause of these differences.

The relationship and predictive value of dementia and frailty for mortality in patients with surgically managed hip fractures.

BACKGROUND: Both dementia and frailty have been associated with worse outcomes in patients with hip fractures. However, the interrelation and predictive value of these two entities has yet to be clarified. The current study aimed to investigate the predictive relationship between dementia, frailty, and in-hospital mortality after hip fracture surgery. METHODS: All patients registered in the 2019 National Inpatient Sample Database who were 50 years or older and underwent emergency hip fracture surgery following a traumatic fall were eligible for inclusion. Logistic regression (LR) models were constructed with in-hospital mortality as the response variables. One model was constructed including markers of frailty and one model was constructed excluding markers of frailty [Orthopedic Frailty Score (OFS) and weight loss]. The feature importance of all variables was determined using the permutation importance method. New LR models were then fitted using the top ten most important variables. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to compare the predictive ability of these models. RESULTS: An estimated total of 216,395 patients were included. Dementia was the 7th most important variable for predicting in-hospital mortality. When the OFS and weight loss were included, they replaced dementia in importance. There was no significant difference in the predictive ability of the models when comparing the model that included markers of frailty [AUC for in-hospital mortality (95% CI) 0.79 (0.77-0.81)] with the model that excluded markers of frailty [AUC for in-hospital mortality (95% CI) 0.79 (0.77-0.80)]. CONCLUSION: Dementia functions as a surrogate for frailty when predicting in-hospital mortality in hip fracture patients. This finding highlights the importance of early frailty screening for improvement of care pathways and discussions with patients and their families in regard to expected outcomes.

Adverse outcomes following pelvic fracture: the critical role of frailty.

PURPOSE: Pelvic fractures among older adults are associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes, with frailty likely being a contributing factor. The current study endeavors to describe the association between frailty, measured using the Orthopedic Frailty Score (OFS), and adverse outcomes in geriatric pelvic fracture patients. METHODS: All geriatric (65 years or older) patients registered in the 2013-2019 Trauma Quality Improvement Program database with an isolated pelvic fracture following blunt trauma were considered for inclusion. An isolated pelvic fracture was defined as any fracture in the pelvis with a lower extremity AIS ≥ 2, any abdomen AIS, and an AIS ≤ 1 in all other regions. Poisson regression models were employed to determine the association between the OFS and adverse outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 66,404 patients were included for further analysis. 52% (N = 34,292) were classified as non-frail (OFS 0), 32% (N = 21,467) were pre-frail (OFS 1), and 16% (N = 10,645) were classified as frail (OFS ≥ 2). Compared to non-frail patients, frail patients exhibited a 88% increased risk of in-hospital mortality [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 1.88 (1.54-2.30), p < 0.001], a 25% increased risk of complications [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 1.25 (1.10-1.42), p < 0.001], a 56% increased risk of failure-to-rescue [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 1.56 (1.14-2.14), p = 0.006], and a 10% increased risk of ICU admission [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 1.10 (1.02-1.18), p = 0.014]. CONCLUSION: Frail pelvic fracture patients suffer from a disproportionately increased risk of mortality, complications, failure-to-rescue, and ICU admission. Additional measures are required to mitigate adverse events in this vulnerable patient population.

Validation of the orthopedic frailty score for measuring frailty in hip fracture patients: a cohort study based on the United States National inpatient sample.

BACKGROUND: The Orthopedic Frailty Score (OFS) has been proposed as a tool for measuring frailty in order to predict short-term postoperative mortality in hip fracture patients. This study aims to validate the OFS using a large national patient register to determine its relationship with adverse outcomes as well as length of stay and cost of hospital stay. METHODS: All adult patients (18 years or older) registered in the 2019 National Inpatient Sample Database who underwent emergency hip fracture surgery following a traumatic fall were eligible for inclusion. The association between the OFS and mortality, complications, and failure-to-rescue (FTR) was determined using Poisson regression models adjusted for potential confounders. The relationship between the OFS and length of stay and cost of hospital stay was instead determined using a quantile regression model. RESULTS: An estimated 227,850 cases met the study inclusion criteria. There was a stepwise increase in the rate of complications, mortality, and FTR for each additional point on the OFS. After adjusting for potential confounding, OFS 4 was associated with an almost ten-fold increase in the risk of in-hospital mortality [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 10.6 (4.02-27.7), p < 0.001], a 38% increased risk of complications [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 1.38 (1.03-1.85), p = 0.032], and an almost 11-fold increase in the risk of FTR [adjusted IRR (95% CI): 11.6 (4.36-30.9), p < 0.001], compared to OFS 0. Patients with OFS 4 also required a day and a half additional care [change in median length of stay (95% CI): 1.52 (0.97-2.08), p < 0.001] as well as cost approximately $5,200 more to manage [change in median cost of stay (95% CI): 5166 (1921-8411), p = 0.002], compared to those with OFS 0. CONCLUSION: Patients with an elevated OFS display a substantially increased risk of mortality, complications, and failure-to-rescue as well as a prolonged and more costly hospital stay.

A nationwide analysis on the interaction between frailty and beta-blocker therapy in hip fracture patients.

INTRODUCTION: Hip fracture patients, who are often frail, continue to be a challenge for healthcare systems with a high postoperative mortality rate. While beta-blocker therapy (BBt) has shown a strong association with reduced postoperative mortality, its effect in frail patients has yet to be determined. This study's aim is to investigate how frailty, measured using the Orthopedic Hip Frailty Score (OFS), modifies the effect of preadmission beta-blocker therapy on mortality in hip fracture patients. METHODS: This retrospective register-based study included all adult patients in Sweden who suffered a traumatic hip fracture and subsequently underwent surgery between 2008 and 2017. Treatment effect was evaluated using the absolute risk reduction (ARR) in 30-day postoperative mortality when comparing patients with (BBt+) and without (BBt-) ongoing BBt. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to reduce potential confounding when examining the treatment effect. Patients were stratified based on their OFS (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) and the treatment effect was also assessed within each stratum. RESULTS: A total of 127,305 patients were included, of whom 39% had BBt. When IPTW was performed, there were no residual differences in observed baseline characteristics between the BBt+ and BBt- groups, across all strata. This analysis found that there was a stepwise increase in the ARRs for each additional point on the OFS. Non-frail BBt+ patients (OFS 0) exhibited an ARR of 2.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-2.4%, p < 0.001], while the most frail BBt+ patients (OFS 5) had an ARR of 24% [95% CI 18-30%, p < 0.001], compared to BBt- patients within the same stratum. CONCLUSION: Beta-blocker therapy is associated with a reduced risk of 30-day postoperative mortality in frail hip fracture patients, with a greater effect being observed with higher Orthopedic Hip Frailty Scores.

The mortality burden of frailty in hip fracture patients: a nationwide retrospective study of cause-specific mortality.

PURPOSE: Frailty is a condition characterized by a reduced ability to adapt to external stressors because of a reduced physiologic reserve, which contributes to the high risk of postoperative mortality in hip fracture patients. This study aims to investigate how frailty is associated with the specific causes of mortality in hip fracture patients. METHODS: All adult patients in Sweden who suffered a traumatic hip fracture and underwent surgery between 2008 and 2017 were eligible for inclusion. The Orthopedic Hip Frailty Score (OFS) was used to classify patients as non-frail (OFS 0), pre-frail (OFS 1), and frail (OFS ≥ 2). The association between the degree of frailty and both all-cause and cause-specific mortality was determined using Poisson regression models with robust standard errors and presented using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for potential sources of confounding. RESULTS: After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 127,305 patients remained for further analysis. 23.9% of patients were non-frail, 27.7% were pre-frail, and 48.3% were frail. Frail patients exhibited a 4 times as high risk of all-cause mortality 30 days [adj. IRR (95% CI): 3.80 (3.36-4.30), p < 0.001] and 90 days postoperatively [adj. IRR (95% CI): 3.88 (3.56-4.23), p < 0.001] as non-frail patients. Of the primary causes of 30-day mortality, frailty was associated with a tripling in the risk of cardiovascular [adj. IRR (95% CI): 3.24 (2.64-3.99), p < 0.001] and respiratory mortality [adj. IRR (95% CI): 2.60 (1.96-3.45), p < 0.001] as well as a five-fold increase in the risk of multiorgan failure [adj. IRR (95% CI): 4.99 (3.95-6.32), p < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: Frailty is associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality at 30 and 90 days postoperatively. Across both timepoints, cardiovascular and respiratory events along with multiorgan failure were the most prevalent causes of mortality.

Mode of anesthesia is not associated with outcomes following emergency hip fracture surgery: a population-level cohort study.

Background: Hip fractures often occur in frail patients with several comorbidities. In those undergoing emergency surgery, determining the optimal anesthesia modality may be challenging, with equipoise concerning outcomes following either spinal or general anesthesia. In this study, we investigated the association between mode of anesthesia and postoperative morbidity and mortality with subgroup analyses. Methods: This is a retrospective study using all consecutive adult patients who underwent emergency hip fracture surgery in Orebro County, Sweden, between 2013 and 2017. Patients were extracted from the Swedish National Hip Fracture Registry, and their electronic medical records were reviewed. The association between the type of anesthesia and 30-day and 90-day postoperative mortality, as well as in-hospital severe complications (Clavien-Dindo classification ≥3a), was analyzed using Poisson regression models with robust SEs, while the association with 1-year mortality was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. All analyses were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: A total of 2437 hip fracture cases were included in the study, of whom 60% received spinal anesthesia. There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of 30-day postoperative mortality (adjusted incident rate ratio (IRR) (95% CI): 0.99 (0.72 to 1.36), p=0.952), 90-day postoperative mortality (adjusted IRR (95% CI): 0.88 (0.70 to 1.11), p=0.281), 1-year postoperative mortality (adjusted HR (95% CI): 0.98 (0.83 to 1.15), p=0.773), or in-hospital severe complications (adjusted IRR (95% CI): 1.24 (0.85 to 1.82), p=0.273), when comparing general and spinal anesthesia. Conclusions: Mode of anesthesia during emergency hip fracture surgery was not associated with an increased risk of postoperative mortality or in-hospital severe complications in the study population or any of the investigated subgroups.Level of evidence: Therapeutic/Care Management, level III.

Developing and validating a scoring system for measuring frailty in patients with hip fracture: a novel model for predicting short-term postoperative mortality.

Objectives: Frailty is common among patients with hip fracture and may, in part, contribute to the increased risk of mortality and morbidity after hip fracture surgery. This study aimed to develop a novel frailty score for patients with traumatic hip fracture that could be used to predict postoperative mortality as well as facilitate further research into the role of frailty in patients with hip fracture. Methods: The Orthopedic Hip Frailty Score (OFS) was developed using a national dataset, retrieved from the Swedish National Quality Registry for Hip Fractures, that contained all adult patients who underwent surgery for a traumatic hip fracture in Sweden between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2017. Candidate variables were selected from the Nottingham Hip Fracture Score, Sernbo Score, Charlson Comorbidity Index, 5-factor modified Frailty Index, as well as the Revised Cardiac Risk Index and ranked based on their permutation importance, with the top 5 variables being selected for the score. The OFS was then validated on a local dataset that only included patients from Orebro County, Sweden. Results: The national dataset consisted of 126,065 patients. 2365 patients were present in the local dataset. The most important variables for predicting 30-day mortality were congestive heart failure, institutionalization, non-independent functional status, an age ≥85, and a history of malignancy. In the local dataset, the OFS achieved an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (95% CI) of 0.77 (0.74 to 0.80) and 0.76 (0.74 to 0.78) when predicting 30-day and 90-day postoperative mortality, respectively. Conclusions: The OFS is a significant predictor of short-term postoperative mortality in patients with hip fracture that outperforms, or performs on par with, all other investigated indices. Level of evidence: Level III, Prognostic and Epidemiological.

Dementia is a surrogate for frailty in hip fracture mortality prediction.

PURPOSE: Among hip fracture patients both dementia and frailty are particularly prevalent. The aim of the current study was to determine if dementia functions as a surrogate for frailty, or if it confers additional information as a comorbidity when predicting postoperative mortality after a hip fracture. METHODS: All adult patients who suffered a traumatic hip fracture in Sweden between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2017 were considered for inclusion. Pathological fractures, non-operatively treated fractures, reoperations, and patients missing data were excluded. Logistic regression (LR) models were fitted, one including and one excluding measurements of frailty, with postoperative mortality as the response variable. The primary outcome of interest was 30-day postoperative mortality. The relative importance for all variables was determined using the permutation importance. New LR models were constructed using the top ten most important variables. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to compare the predictive ability of these models. RESULTS: 121,305 patients were included in the study. Initially, dementia was among the top ten most important variables for predicting 30-day mortality. When measurements of frailty were included, dementia was replaced in relative importance by the ability to walk alone outdoors and institutionalization. There was no significant difference in the predictive ability of the models fitted using the top ten most important variables when comparing those that included [AUC for 30-day mortality (95% CI): 0.82 (0.81-0.82)] and excluded [AUC for 30-day mortality (95% CI): 0.81 (0.80-0.81)] measurements of frailty. CONCLUSION: Dementia functions as a surrogate for frailty when predicting mortality up to one year after hip fracture surgery. The presence of dementia in a patient without frailty does not appreciably contribute to the prediction of postoperative mortality.

The association between the Revised Cardiac Risk Index and short-term mortality after hip fracture surgery.

PURPOSE: The post-operative mortality after hip fracture surgery is high and has remained largely unchanged during the last decades. The Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) is a tool used to evaluate the 30-day risk of, among other outcomes, post-operative mortality. The aim of this study is to determine the association between the RCRI score and post-operative mortality in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. METHODS: Data was obtained from the national hip fracture register which was cross-referenced with patients' electronic hospital records. All adults who underwent primary emergency hip fracture surgery in Orebro County, Sweden, between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2017, were included. Patients were divided into two cohorts: low RCRI (score = 0-1) and high RCRI (score ≥ 2). A Poisson regression model was employed to investigate the association between a high RCRI score and 30- and 90-day post-operative mortality. RESULTS: A total of 2443 patients, of whom 446 (18%) had a high RCRI score, were included in the current study. When adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities and type of surgery, the incidence of 30-day mortality increased by 46% in the high RCRI cohort (adj. IRR 1.46, 95% CI, 1.10-1.94, p = 0.010). Similar results were observed for 90-day mortality (adj. IRR 1.50, 95% CI, 1.21-1.84, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The RCRI is applicable to patients that undergo surgery for traumatic hip fractures. A high RCRI score is associated with an increased incidence of both 30- and 90-day post-operative mortality. Future studies to evaluate these findings are needed.

A nationwide observational cohort study of the relationship between beta-blockade and survival after hip fracture surgery.

PURPOSE: Despite advances in the care of hip fractures, this area of surgery is associated with high postoperative mortality. Downregulating circulating catecholamines, released as a response to traumatic injury and surgical trauma, is believed to reduce the risk of death in noncardiac surgical patients. This effect has not been studied in hip fractures. This study aims to assess whether survival benefits are gained by reducing the effects of the hyper-adrenergic state with beta-blocker therapy in patients undergoing emergency hip fracture surgery. METHODS: This is a retrospective nationwide observational cohort study. All adults [Formula: see text] 18 years were identified from the prospectively collected national quality register for hip fractures in Sweden during a 10-year period. Pathological fractures were excluded. The cohort was subdivided into beta-blocker users and non-users. Poisson regression with robust standard errors and adjustments for confounders was used to evaluate 30-day mortality. RESULTS: 134,915 patients were included of whom 38.9% had ongoing beta-blocker therapy at the time of surgery. Beta-blocker users were significantly older and less fit for surgery. Crude 30-day all-cause mortality was significantly increased in non-users (10.0% versus 3.7%, p < 0.001). Beta-blocker therapy resulted in a 72% relative risk reduction in 30-day all-cause mortality (incidence rate ratio 0.28, 95% CI 0.26-0.29, p < 0.001) and was independently associated with a reduction in deaths of cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular origin and deaths due to sepsis or multiorgan failure. CONCLUSIONS: Beta-blockers are associated with significant survival benefits when undergoing emergency hip fracture surgery. Outlined results strongly encourage an interventional design to validate the observed relationship.

The mortality burden in patients with hip fractures and dementia.

PURPOSE: Dementia is strongly associated with postoperative death in patients subjected to hip fracture surgery. Nevertheless, there is a distinct lack of research investigating the cause of postoperative mortality in patients with dementia. This study aims to investigate the distribution and the risk of cause-specific postoperative mortality in patients with dementia compared to the general hip fracture population. METHODS: All adults who underwent emergency hip fracture surgery in Sweden between 1/1/2008 and 31/12/2017 were considered for inclusion. Pathological, conservatively managed fractures, and reoperations were excluded. The database was retrieved by cross-referencing the Swedish National Quality Registry for Hip Fracture patients with the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare quality registers. A Poisson regression model was used to determine the association between dementia and all-cause as well as cause-specific 30-day postoperative mortality. RESULTS: 134,915 cases met the inclusion criteria, of which 20% had dementia at the time of surgery. The adjusted risk of all-cause 30-day postoperative mortality was 67% higher in patients with dementia after hip fracture surgery compared to patients without dementia [adj. IRR (95% CI): 1.67 (1.60-1.75), p < 0.001]. The risk of cause-specific mortality was also higher in patients with dementia, with up to a sevenfold increase in the risk cerebrovascular mortality [adj. IRR (95% CI): 7.43 (4.99-11.07), p < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Hip fracture patients with dementia have a higher risk of death in the first 30 days postoperatively, with a substantially higher risk of mortality due to cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular events, compared to patients without dementia.

Surgical management of displaced femoral neck fractures in patients with dementia: a comparison in mortality between hemiarthroplasty and pins/screws.

INTRODUCTION: Dementia is common in patients with hip fractures and is strongly associated with increased postoperative mortality. The choice of surgical intervention for displaced femoral neck fractures (dFNF) in patients with dementia has been a matter of debate. This study aims to investigate how short- and long-term mortality differs between those who have been operated with hemiarthroplasty or pins/screws. METHODS: All patients with dementia and dFNF, i.e., Garden III and IV, who underwent primary emergency hip fracture surgery, with either hemiarthroplasty or pins/screws, in Sweden between Jan 1, 2008 and Dec 31, 2017 were eligible for inclusion in the current study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical intervention: hemiarthroplasty and pins/screws. The primary outcome of interest was 30-day postoperative mortality, and the secondary outcome was 1-year postoperative mortality. Poisson and Cox regression analyses were performed both before and after propensity score matching. RESULTS: A total of 9394 cases met the inclusion criteria; 84% received hemiarthroplasty and 16% received pins/screws. In the unmatched analysis, the adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) for 30-day postoperative mortality was not affected by the chosen surgical method (adj. IRR 0.96, CI 95% 0.83-1.12, p = 0.629). After propensity score matching, similar results were observed with no difference in 30-day postoperative mortality (adj. IRR 0.89, CI 95% 0.74-1.09, p = 0.286). There was a statistically significant decrease in the risk of 1-year postoperative mortality in the hemiarthroplasty group compared to the pins/screws group, both before and after propensity score matching. CONCLUSION: This study could not demonstrate any difference in 30-day mortality in patients with dementia and dFNFs when comparing hemiarthroplasty with pins/screws. Patients that received hemiarthroplasties did, however, have a lower risk of 1-year postoperative mortality.

The consequences of out-of-hours hip fracture surgery: insights from a retrospective nationwide study.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to investigate the association between out-of-hours surgery and postoperative mortality in hip fracture patients. Furthermore, internal fixation and arthroplasty were compared to determine if a difference could be observed in patients operated with these techniques at different times during the day. METHODS: All patients above 18 of age years in Sweden who underwent hip fracture surgery between 2008 and 2017 were eligible for inclusion. Pathological fractures, non-operatively managed fractures, or cases whose time of surgery was missing were excluded. The cohort was subdivided into on-hour (08:00-17:00) and out-of-hours surgery (17:00-08:00). Poisson regression with adjustments for confounders was used to evaluate the association between out-of-hours surgery and both 30-day and 90-day postoperative mortality. RESULTS: Out-of-hours surgery was associated with a 5% increase in the risk of both 30-day [adj. IRR (95% CI) 1.05 (1.00-1.10), p = 0.040] and 90-day [adj. IRR (95% CI) 1.05 (1.01-1.09), p = 0.005] mortality after hip fracture surgery compared to on-hour surgery. There was no statistically significant association between out-of-hours surgery and postoperative mortality among patients who received an internal fixation. Arthroplasties performed out-of-hours were associated with a 13% increase in 30-day postoperative mortality [adj. IRR (95% CI) 1.13 (1.04-1.23), p = 0.005] and an 8% increase in 90-day postoperative mortality [adj. IRR (95% CI) 1.08 (1.01-1.15), p = 0.022] compared to on-hour surgery. CONCLUSION: Out-of-hours surgical intervention is associated with an increase in both 30- and 90-day postoperative mortality among hip fracture patients who received an arthroplasty, but not among patients who underwent internal fixation.

The interaction between pre-admission ß-blocker therapy, the Revised Cardiac Risk Index, and mortality in geriatric hip fracture patients.

BACKGROUND: An association between ß-blocker (BB) therapy and a reduced risk of major cardiac events and mortality in patients undergoing surgery for hip fractures has previously been demonstrated. Furthermore, a relationship between an increased Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) score and a higher risk of postoperative mortality has also been detected. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the interaction between BB therapy and RCRI in relation to 30-day postoperative mortality in geriatric patients after hip fracture surgery. METHODS: All patients older than 65 years who underwent primary emergency hip fracture surgery in Sweden between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2017, except for pathological fractures, were included in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into cohorts based on their RCRI score (RCRI 1, 2, 3, and ≥4) and whether they had ongoing BB therapy at the time of admission. A Poisson regression model with robust standard errors of variance was used, while adjusting for confounders, to evaluate the association between BB therapy, RCRI, and 30-day mortality. RESULTS: A total of 126,934 cases met the study inclusion criteria. ß-Blocker therapy was associated with a 65% decrease in the risk of 30-day postoperative mortality in the whole study population (adjusted incidence rate ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.35 [0.32-0.38]; p < 0.001). The use of BB also resulted in a significant reduction in 30-day postoperative mortality within all RCRI cohorts. However, the most pronounced effect of BB therapy was seen in patients with an RCRI score greater than 0. CONCLUSION: ß-Blocker therapy is associated with a reduction in 30-day postoperative mortality, irrespective of RCRI score. Furthermore, patients with an elevated cardiac risk appear to have a greater benefit of BB therapy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/care management, level II.

ß-Adrenergic blockade in patients with dementia and hip fracture is associated with decreased postoperative mortality.

PURPOSE: Dementia, present in 20% of hip fracture patients, is associated with an almost threefold increase in postoperative mortality risk. These patients have a substantially higher incidence of cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular mortality after hip fracture surgery compared to patients without dementia. This study aimed to investigate the association between beta-blocker therapy and postoperative mortality in patients with dementia undergoing hip fracture surgery. METHODS: This nationwide study included all patients in Sweden with the diagnosis of dementia who underwent emergency surgery for a hip fracture between January 2008 and December 2017. Cases where the hip fracture was pathological or conservatively managed were not included. Poisson regression analysis with robust standard errors was performed while controlling for confounders to determine the relationship between beta-blocker therapy and all-cause, as well as cause-specific, postoperative mortality. RESULTS: A total of 26,549 patients met the study inclusion criteria, of whom 8258 (31%) had ongoing beta-blocker therapy at time of admission. After adjusting for clinically relevant variables, the incidence of postoperative mortality in patients receiving beta-blocker therapy was decreased by 50% at 30 days [adj. IRR (95% CI) 0.50 (0.45-0.54), p < 0.001] and 34% at 90 days [adj. IRR (95% CI) 0.66 (0.62-0.70), p < 0.001]. Cause-specific mortality analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in the incidence of postoperative cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular death within 30 and 90 days postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Beta-blocker therapy is associated with decreased postoperative mortality in hip fracture patients with dementia up to 90 days after surgery. This finding warrants further investigation.