In a study of 701 hip fracture patients (age >65 yrs), researchers from Beijing, China, found that those who underwent surgery within 2 days of admission (Early Surgery Group) had fewer perioperative challenges than those whose surgery was delayed. The Early Surgery Group (n=357, average age 80.1 yrs) had a significantly lower incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI; 19.6% vs 32.6%, P < 0.001), deep venous thrombosis (DVT; 9.8% vs 18.3%, P < 0.001), and pressure ulcer (3.4% vs 9.6%, P < 0.001) as well as a shorter surgical duration, less intraoperative blood loss (150 mL vs 200 mL), and a significantly shorter length of hospital stay (4 days [range 3-5] vs 5 days [range 4-7]; P<0.001). While the 6-month mortality rate was not significantly different, the readmission rate in the Delayed Surgery Group (n=344, average 79.6 yrs) was significantly higher than that in the Early Surgery Group 6 months after surgery (34 [9.5%] vs 56 [16.3%], P = 0.008). The authors concluded that early surgery can shorten the length of the postoperative hospitalization and bed rest for patients and reduce complications such as pulmonary infections, UTIs, and lower extremity DVT associated with bed rest.
Source: Sun L, Wang C, Zhang M, Li X, Zhao B. The surgical timing and prognoses of elderly patients with hip fractures: a retrospective analysis. Clin Interv Aging. 2023;18:891-899. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S408903.
