Association Between Delays in Radiography and Surgery With Hip Fracture Outcomes in Elderly Patients

Appropriate waiting time for hip fracture surgery is disputed. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends surgery within 48 hours of presentation, although evidence suggests that earlier surgery (within 24 hours) reduces the risks of complications and death. The authors asked: (1) Do patients who receive earlier radiographic evaluation of hip fracture undergo surgery earlier? and (2) Is "surgery delay" (time from presentation to surgery) associated with postoperative opioid use, duration of hospital stay, and 30-day and 1-year mortality rates? The authors identified 511 adults 60 years or older who were admitted to their emergency department with hip fractures from 2015 through 2017. Patients were divided into 6 cohorts according to length of surgery delay and 3 cohorts according to length of radiography delay (time from presentation to first hip radiograph). The authors found that medium radiography delay (>2 to 4 hours) was associated with an additional 11 hours of surgery delay compared with short radiography delay (≤2 hours; P=.026). Longer surgery delay (>12 hours) was associated with use of 9.6 more morphine equivalents (95% confidence interval, 0.7 to 8.6) during the first 24 hours postoperatively compared with shorter surgery delay (≤12 hours). Surgery delay of greater than 36 hours was an independent risk factor for longer hospital stay (odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 4.8). Thirty-day and 1-year mortality rates were significantly higher among patients who experienced a surgery delay of greater than 36 hours compared with those who experienced a surgery delay of 36 hours or less. [Orthopedics. 2020;43(6):e609-e615.].