A study of waiting time for surgery in elderly patients with hip fracture and subsequent in-patient hospital stay.
OBJECTIVE
To establish whether increased waiting time to operation in elderly patients with hip fracture significantly affects postoperative time to discharge.


METHODS
Combined prospective and retrospective analysis of theatre logbooks and in-patient data to determine the type, time and date of operation and subsequent in-patient stay.


METHODS
A busy district general hospital in the South East Thames Valley area with changing availability of a dedicated trauma list.


METHODS
441 elderly patients undergoing hip surgery between May 1995 and March 1997.


METHODS
Waiting time from booking of operation to surgery and length of postoperative hospital stay.


RESULTS
Increased pre-operative wait for emergency hip surgery in elderly patients significantly increases postoperative stay. Roughly doubling pre-operative wait increases postoperative stay by 19% (P < 0.01).
Thomas
S
S
Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, RG1 5AN, UK. sthomas45@hotmail.com
Ord
J
J
Pailthorpe
C
C
D000368:Aged; D004739:England; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014850:Waiting Lists