[Mortality in proximal femur fractures in elderly people]

Retrospectively we studied 30 patients with fracture of the proximal femur, who were no less than 75 years old and who died during their hospitalization in the Department of Surgery of the Medical University of Lübeck from 1986 to 1991. Mortality was 6% (30/498). The mean time of death was the 13th day after administration. Nineteen patients have had 1, 7 patients 2 serious preexisting diseases. Twelve patients developed 1, 8 patients 2, and 1 patient 3 serious complications. The high amount of patients (30%, 9/30) who could not be operated reflects the great influence of the trauma itself on the mortality of the old multimorbid surgical patient. Intra-operative complications were seldom (1 pulmonary embolism), postoperative complications, however, were the limiting factors of the course of illness and are associated with a poor outcome.