[The relationship between surgical delay for a hip fracture and the complication risk]

To investigate the factors that contribute to surgical delay and whether this delay can be associated with post-operative complications.

Retrospective cohort study.

Patients admitted with a hip fracture between 1 January 2001-31 December, 2003 to the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, were included. The delay before surgery was recorded in 446 patients who underwent surgical treatment for a hip fracture. As possible predictors of delay before surgery, the following factors were investigated: demographic and other patient information, pre-operative medication, co-morbidities, pre-operative acute co-morbidities, classification according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and whether or not the patient had already had surgery to the same hip. To measure the effect of delay before surgery, we investigated post-operative complications like: delirium, decubitus ulcers, urinary tract infections, pulmonary infections, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, wound infection, failure ofosteosynthesis and in-hospital mortality.

In total, 446 patients, 98 male and 348 female, with a mean age of 82.2 years met the inclusion criteria. Distinct predictors of delay before surgery were: ASA-classification, pre-operative urinary tract infection, pre-operative chest infection, pre-operative delirium, pre-operative anaemia and re-operation. There was no significant association between delay of surgery and the occurrence of post-operative complications.

Presence of a pre-operative medical condition has an important effect on surgical delay for a hip fracture. The assumption of the Dutch Healthcare Inspectorate that delay of surgery for hip fracture causes more complications could not be confirmed.