Hospital stay and blood transfusion in elderly patients with hip fractures

Neck of femur (NOF) fractures in elderly patients are the most frequent condition which an orthopaedic surgeon confronts nowadays. The incidence of these fractures is increasing as the population continues to age. These patients absorb the majority of the resources in the hospitals, as their healthcare demands are increased. This study included all patients who were admitted to our hospital between January and October 2015 following a neck of femur fracture. A total of 336 patients were included (72.3% female). We gathered demographic and hospitalisation data from patients' files. Haemoglobin (Hb) levels at admission and transfusion data were also collected. Male patients appeared to have a relatively higher risk of mortality than females (p=0.01). Patients with high ASA grade (IV) had a higher mortality rate (p=0.01). Age, delay of surgery, type of surgery, AMTS and Hb at admission and type of fracture on the other hand did not have a significant impact on mortality (p>0.05). Patients who needed transfusion during their hospitalisation had significantly lower Hb at admission (p=0.044). More specifically, patients who had Hb<110 at admission were more likely to need transfusion (p<0.001). Hospitalisation of patients who needed transfusion was significantly prolonged. In our effort to deliver the best services to our patients, this study considers transfusing the elderly patients with low Hb at admission (Hb<110) pre-operatively, with a view to increasing their reserves for the operation and potentially speeding up the rehabilitation process and decreasing their hospitalisation time.