title: Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients admitted for hip fracture.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several risk factors for falls and hip fractures have been recognised, but controversy still exists regarding the importance of rhythm and conduction abnormalities as potentially modifiable risk factors for recurrent falls. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of clinically relevant ECG abnormalities in patients with a hip fracture versus controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as a case-control study within consecutive hip surgery patients in an academic hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  patients with traumatic hip fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  patients undergoing planned hip surgery (non-traumatic). CASES and controls were 1:1 matched for age and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  age &#8805; 50 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  high-energy trauma, pathological and÷or previous hip fracture. ECGs were scored using predefined categories. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to calculate odds ratios (OR) and to correct for confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 888 patients (444 cases). Mean age was 70.9 years (SD 9.3), 70% were female. After correction for potential confounders we found the following associations between clinically relevant ECG abnormalities and hip fractures: atrial fibrillation OR 2.7 (95% CI 1.2-6.1), abnormal QTc prolongation OR 3.9 (2.2-6.8), sinus tachycardia OR 5.0 (2.1-11.8) and sinus bradycardia OR 0.3 (0.1-0.5). Univariately, several markers for decreased cardiac function were also associated with hip fractures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hip fracture patients are at higher risk for ECG abnormalities than matched patients undergoing hip surgery for other indications. To potentially reduce the risk of future (injurious) falls, increased awareness of these ECG abnormalities is warranted to assess the need for further cardiovascular fall risk assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Koster
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: de Lange
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Goslings
authors.forename: M U
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Schafroth
authors.forename: S E J A
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: de Rooij
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van der Velde
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged