title: Hip fracture protocols: what have we changed?
abstract: Early surgical intervention is thought to reduce in-hospital morbidity and mortality as well as short-term mortality rates for elderly patients with hip fractures. However, hip fractures are also thought to be a symptom of progressive decline in elderly patients with multiple medical comorbidities. A measured approach to medical optimization, which may preclude rapid surgical intervention, is often required to improve the patient's ability to resume a prefracture standard of living. Of late, new models of geriatric hip-fracture care have emerged, most of which entail early involvement of geriatricians and interdisciplinary care pathways, while continuing to focus on rapid surgical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA. dellaroccag@health.missouri.edu
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Della Rocca
authors.forename: Brett D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Crist
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards; D019091:Critical Pathways; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D016896:Treatment Outcome