Predictors of Infective Outcomes Following Hip Fracture: A Cohort Study

Objectives: This study sought to assess the value of differing pre-operative measures in prediction of post-operative non-surgical site infection (NSSI) and length of hospital stay following hip fracture surgery. Methods: All patients admitted during a one year period with a hip fracture to our department were included in the study (n=207). Primary outcome measures were ten independent risk factors correlated to the development of non-surgical site infection following surgery for hip fracture. Secondary outcome measures were duration of hospital stay and inpatient mortality. Results: The patients who had severe cognitive impairment had a 71.0% risk of developing non-surgical site infection. Patients who had multiple medical co-morbidities also had increased risk of developing non-surgical site infection at 59.1%. Patients who developed NSSI on average stayed in hospital 13.1 days longer than patients who did not (31.6 vs. 18.5, p < .001). Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of reducing post-operative infection in hip fracture patients in view of reducing morbidity, mortality and cost. These patients can be stratified by risk factors and interventions can be employed in view of reducing inpatient post-operative infection rates in this cohort.