[Factors Associated with In-Hospital Mortality Due to Hip Fracture in Chile: A Population-Based Study (2018-2022)]

Hip fracture in older adults is a major public health issue due to its high frequency and associated mortality. In Chile, recent nationwide studies analyzing in-hospital mortality factors are scarce.

To describe the characteristics of patients hospitalized for hip fracture in Chile between 2018 and 2022, and to identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

We conducted a retrospective analytical study using national hospital discharge data from the Chilean Department of Statistics and Health Information (DEIS). We included patients with a primary diagnosis of hip fracture (ICD-10: S72.0, S72.1, S72.2). Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed, followed by multivariable logistic regression to identify independent mortality risk factors.

A total of 40,912 discharges were analyzed. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 2.9%. Independent factors associated with higher mortality included: age ≥80 years (OR: 5.6; 95%CI: 3.7-8.7), male sex (OR: 1.3; 95%CI: 1.1-1.5), public health insurance (FONASA) (OR: 1.8; 95%CI: 1.2-2.6), no surgical treatment (OR: 6.3; 95%CI: 5.4-7.4), and longer hospital stay (OR per day: 1.02; 95%CI: 1.01-1.03). Falls were the main external cause (76.7%), most occurring at home.

In-hospital mortality after hip fracture in Chile is significantly associated with older age, male sex, public insurance, lack of surgery, and prolonged hospital stay. These findings support the implementation of timely and equitable interventions to reduce mortality in this vulnerable population.