Margareta Hedström

Early operation on patients with a hip fracture improved the ability to return to independent living : a prospective study of 850 patients

BACKGROUND The outcome for many patients with a hip fracture remains poor. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the timing of surgery in such patients could influence the short-term clinical outcome. METHODS We included 850 consecutive patients with a hip fracture who were admitted to the hospital during one year in a prospective study. Three cutoff limits for a comparison of early and late operation were defined. The outcome (the ability to return to independent living, risk for the development of pressure ulcers, length of the hospital stay, and mortality rate) for patients who had an operation within twenty-four, thirty-six, and forty-eight hours was compared with the outcome for those who had an operation at a later time. RESULTS Patients who had the operation more than thirty-six and forty-eight hours after admission were less likely to return to independent living within four months (odds ratio, 0.44 and 0.33, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference with use of the twenty-four-hour cutoff limit. The incidence of pressure ulcers in the groups that had the operation later was increased at all three cutoff limits (a delay of more than twenty-four hours, more than thirty-six hours, and more than forty-eight hours) (odds ratio, 2.19, 3.42, and 4.34, respectively). The length of hospitalization was also increased in the groups that had the later operation (median, fourteen compared with eighteen days, fifteen compared with nineteen days, and fifteen compared with twenty-one days, respectively) (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). The importance of surgical timing remained significant after adjusting for several possible confounders (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Early compared with late operative treatment of patients with a hip fracture is associated with an improved ability to return to independent living, a reduced risk for the development of pressure ulcers, and a shortened hospital stay.

Prediction of Mortality in Elderly Patients with Hip Fractures: A Two-Year Prospective Study of 1,944 Patients

Background: Hip fracture patients are reported to have an increased mortality rate compared to the general population. In order to be able to reduce the morbidity and mortality after a hip fracture, our efforts to identify the patients at risk already upon admission to the hospital need to be increased. For such a risk assessment, robust, validated, and reproducible criteria are mandatory. Objective: To determine preoperative factors associated with mortality and to evaluate the combined use of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) to identify patients with an increased mortality rate and to create a predictive model to assess the mortality risk after hip fracture surgery. Methods: A total of 1,944 consecutive patients aged 66 years or older admitted for a hip fracture were included in a prospective cohort study with a 24-month follow-up. The patients were assessed with regard to gender, age, type of hip fracture, smoking habits, comorbidities, general physical health according to the ASA classification, and cognitive function according to the SPMSQ. A higher ASA score indicates an increasingly severe systemic disease and a lower SPMSQ score indicates an increasingly severe cognitive dysfunction. We used Cox proportional hazard models and classification trees to identify the factors associated with mortality. The predictive model was created based on factors that were significantly associated with death and all readily accessible upon admission. Results: The mortality rate during the acute hospitalization period was 4%, at 4 months 16%, and at 24 months 38%. The most prominent factors associated with mortality were high ASA scores, low SPMSQ scores, high age and male gender. The SPMSQ score provided additional information about the survival time, compared to when the ASA score was used alone. Conclusion: The combined use of the ASA classification for assessing physical health and the SPMSQ for assessing cognitive function effectively identified hip fracture patients with an increased mortality rate. We present a predictive model including age, gender, ASA, and SPMSQ that can be used to assess the mortality risk after hip fracture surgery.

Gender differences and cognitive aspects on functional outcome after hip fracture—a 2 years’ follow-up of 2,134 patients

BACKGROUND hip fractures as well as cognitive dysfunction become increasingly prevalent in growing ageing populations. Hip fractures are approximately three times more common in elderly women. OBJECTIVE we analysed outcome after hip fracture with respect to gender and cognitive function. DESIGN population-based, prospective cohort study. SETTING four university hospitals in Stockholm, Sweden. SUBJECTS a total of 2,134 consecutive patients admitted with hip fracture during 2003. METHODS gender differences in residence, walking ability and activity of daily living (ADL) were analysed at baseline, after 4 and 24 months in patients with and without intact cognitive function. RESULTS women were older, more often living alone and had poorer walking ability (P < 0.001). Cognitive dysfunction was equally common by gender. Women were more often treated with a prosthesis (P < 0.001) and sent to rehabilitation (P < 0.001). In the cognitive dysfunction group, men had more co-morbidity (P < 0.001) and total loss of walking ability (P = 0.03), but more often resided in own homes (P = 0.03). There was no gender difference in ADL. CONCLUSION men had a higher risk for loss of walking ability and death only in patients with cognitive dysfunction. Cognitive function was the most important factor for returning to own home and regain pre-fracture function.

Does Rehabilitation Matter in Patients With Femoral Neck Fracture and Cognitive Impairment? A Prospective Study of 246 Patients

UNLABELLED Al-Ani AN, Flodin L, Söderqvist A, Ackermann P, Samnegård E, Dalén N, Sääf M, Cederholm T, Hedström M. Does rehabilitation matter in patients with femoral neck fracture and cognitive impairment? A prospective study of 246 patients. OBJECTIVE To identify factors associated with preserved walking ability and Katz activities of daily living (ADLs) index at 4-month and 12-month follow-up in cognitively impaired patients with femoral neck fracture. DESIGN Population-based cohort study. SETTING A multicenter study of the Stockholm Hip Fracture Group including 4 university hospitals. PARTICIPANTS Consecutive patients (N=246) with femoral neck fracture, older than 65 years (mean, 84y; 72% women) with cognitive impairment (known dementia or low [0-2 points] score) in Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire [0-10 points]) and able to walk before the fracture. INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Walking ability and ADLs index at 4-month and 12-month follow-up. RESULTS Significant predictors of preserved walking ability at 12-month follow-up were discharge to rehabilitation unit (odds ratio [OR]=2.83; confidence interval [CI], 1.1-7.26; P=.03) and walking ability before the fracture (OR=8.98; CI, 3.52-22.93; P<.001), while type of surgery was not (P=.197). Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, fracture type, and surgical method. Corresponding predictors of preserved Katz ADLs index at 12-month follow-up, after adjustment for age and sex, were discharge to rehabilitation unit (OR=5.33; CI, 1.44-19.65; P=.012) and ADLs index before fracture (OR=2.51; CI, 1.8-3.5; P<.001), while type of surgery was not (P=.376). CONCLUSIONS Discharge to rehabilitation unit, a factor we can influence, was associated with preserved walking ability and ADLs index in cognitively impaired patients with hip fracture.

Metabolism and catabolism in hip fracture patients: nutritional and anabolic intervention--a review.

Patients suffering from hip fracture are known to be at risk of catabolism and protein-energy malnutrition. In this review we discuss the pathogenesis of hip fracture-related catabolism per- and postoperatively. We also describe the consequences of malnutrition after a hip fracture and summarize studies that have evaluated the effect of nutritional or anabolic treatment of these patients. There has been relatively little published on the effects of nutritional and anabolic pharmacological interventions for improvement of nutritional status and on the role of nutritional status in clinical outcomes. Even so, there have been 19 randomized studies in this field. 12 studies evaluated nutritional supplementation or protein supplementation. 6 found improved clinical outcome with fewer complications, faster recovery and shorter length of hospital stay, whereas the others reported no difference in clinical outcome. For pharmacological interventions, the outcomes have been even less clear. Supplementation studies in general appear to be underpowered or suffer logistic problems. Studies of higher scientific quality are needed, and enteral feeding, anabolic treatment and multimodal approaches need to be evaluated in greater depth.

Acute spinal epidural abscess without concurrent spondylodiscitis: Successful closed treatment in 10 cases

We performed a retrospective survey of the clinical records and radiological examinations of 10 patients with a diagnosis of spinal epidural abscess, without spondylodiscitis. All patients had an acute onset of fever and local or radiating back pain. 3 patients had mild, and 1 patient severe neurological symptoms. The diagnosis and subsequent regression of the abscess after treatment were verified by MRI. In all cases, the imaging findings included signs of septic arthritis in an adjoining facet joint. 7/10 abscesses were located in the lumbar region. Blood cultures showed Staphylococcus aureus as the etiological agent in 8/10 patients. In 2 cases, no agent was found, probably due to ongoing antibiotic therapy when the cultures were taken. All patients were treated successfully using antibiotics alone, with complete regression of the neurological symptoms.

Quality of life after a stable trochanteric fracture--a prospective cohort study on 148 patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to report the long-term outcome for patients with stable trochanteric fractures, especially regarding the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Design: A prospective cohort study with a 2-year follow-up. Setting: Four university hospitals. Patients: One hundred forty-eight consecutive patients with stable trochanteric fractures, that is, a 2-part fracture (J-M 1 and 2) according to the Jensen-Michaelsen classification, treated with a sliding hip screw. Main Outcome Measurements: Mortality rate, reoperation rate, pain at the hip, walking ability, activities of daily living (ADL) function, and HRQoL assessed with the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5Dindex score). Results: The 2-year mortality rate was 29%. The reoperation rate was 3%. At the final follow-up, 81% of the patients reported no or only limited pain at the hip, 55% had regained their prefracture walking ability, and 66% their prefracture level of ADL function. The EQ-5Dindex score decreased from 0.69 before the fracture to 0.57 at 4 months, 0.59 at 12 months, and 0.66 at 24 months. Conclusions: Besides the expected mortality rate, the results of the study confirm a low reoperation rate and a good outcome regarding pain at the hip and only limited deterioration in HRQoL after a stable trochanteric fracture. However, a considerable number of the patients experienced deterioration in their walking ability and ADL function. The data on HRQoL obtained in this study can be used in future healthcare evaluations and to calculate quality-adjusted life years.

Why metabolism matters in elective orthopedic surgery: a review.

Copyright© Taylor & Francis 2007. ISSN 1745–3674. Printed in Sweden – all rights reserved. DOI 10.1080/17453670710014293 Like any surgical procedure or traumatic injury, orthopedic surgery evokes a series of stress responses in the body. Our understanding of the nature and the importance of these responses for postoperative metabolism—and subsequently function and outcome after surgery—has improved in recent years. This field of surgical research is growing rapidly. Recent studies have shown that the metabolic response to stress, and in particular the development of resistance to insulin and hyperglycemia, has been a hitherto unknown but major cause of postoperative complications and delayed recovery even in patients without diabetes (Thorell et al. 1999, van den Berghe et al. 2001). Here we review some of the recent developments in our understanding of the role of metabolism and examine them in the context of the patient undergoing elective orthopedic surgery. Our current knowledge of how best to counteract these disadvantageous responses is also summarized.

Urinary tract infection in patients with hip fractures

We found that 23% of 435 patients treated for a femoral neck fracture in our department also were treated for a urinary tract infection during their hospital stay. The most common pathogen was Escherichia coli, sensitive for mecillinam in 98% of the cases. The most frequently used antimicrobial agent was a broad-spectrum antibiotic, fluoroquinolon, although the most reasonable choice would have been a non broad-spectrum agent such as mecillinam. Catheterization was not a predisposing factor for urinary tract infection, but a poor medical condition and female sex were. We did not find a higher mortality rate among patients with a urinary tract infection.

Health related quality of life, reoperation rate and function in patients with diabetes mellitus and hip fracture—A 2 year follow-up study

INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus confers an increased risk of hip fractures. There is a limited knowledge of how the outcome after a hip fracture in patients with diabetes affect Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). The primary aim of this study was to evaluate HRQoL. Secondary aims were reoperation rate, complications and functions in patients with diabetes followed for 2 years after a hip fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS Out of 2133 patients diabetes was present in 234 patients (11%). Main outcome measurements were HRQoL evaluated with EuroQoL 5-Dindex score, reoperation rate, surgical and medical complications, function as walking ability, daily activities, living condition and pain. RESULTS Preoperatively, patients with diabetes mellitus had more pain (p=0.044), co-morbidities, reduced health status (p=0.001) and more often used a walking frame (p=0.014) than patients without diabetes, whereas Katz ADL index, cognition and body mass index did not differ. There was no difference in fracture type, surgical method or reoperation between the two groups or between patients with insulin treated or oral treated diabetes. The EQ-5Dindex score decreased from 0.64 at admission to 0.45 at 4 months, 0.49 at 12 months and 0.51 at 24 months with similar results for patients with and without diabetes. During the first postoperative year there was not more medical complications among patients with diabetes, however cardiac (p=0.023) and renal failure (p=0.032) were more frequent in patients with diabetes at 24 months. Patients with diabetes more often had severe hip pain at 4 months (p=0.031). At 12 months more diabetic patients were living independently (p=0.034). There was no difference in walking ability, ADL and living condition between the groups at 24 months. CONCLUSION The findings of this study indicate that patients with diabetes mellitus had more pain, co-morbidities, reduced health status preoperatively than patients without diabetes. Hip fracture patients with diabetes mellitus have more hip pain at 4 months. Cardiac and renal failure was more frequent in patients with diabetes at 24 months but otherwise we found a comparable re-operation rate, function and deterioration of Health Related Quality of Life as patients without diabetes within 2 years after a hip fracture.