ASA Grade and Elderly Patients With Femoral Neck Fracture

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Elderly patients with femoral neck fractures face significant health risks.
• The American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score is a standard measure of patient health status.
• Predictive tools are crucial for managing outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of ASA score on surgical timing.
• To assess the relationship between ASA score and hospital length of stay.
• To determine the effect of ASA score on 30-day mortality in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study including 249 elderly patients (mean age 84) with femoral neck fractures.
• Patients were categorized by ASA physical status (I-IV).
• Data collected included time to surgery, length of hospital stay, and 30-day mortality.

Main Results:

• Increasing ASA scores correlated with significantly longer times to surgery (P = .005).
• Higher ASA scores were associated with extended hospital stays (P = .026).
• 85% of 30-day mortality occurred in patients with ASA scores of III-IV.

Conclusions:

• The ASA score is a valuable predictor of delayed surgery, prolonged hospital stay, and increased 30-day mortality in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures.
• This simple assessment tool aids in risk stratification and outcome prediction for this patient group.