title: Thirty-day mortality after hip fractures: has anything changed?
abstract: Bone density insufficiency is the main cause for significant musculoskeletal trauma in the elderly population following low-energy falls. Hip fractures, in particular, represent an important public health concern taking into account the complicated needs of the patients due to their medical comorbidities as well as their rehabilitation and social demands. The annual cost for the care of these patients is estimated at around 2 billion pounds (£) in the UK and is ever growing. An increased early and late mortality rate is also recognised in these injuries together with significant adversities for the patients. Lately, in order to improve the outcomes of this special cohort of patients, fast-track care pathways and government initiatives have been implemented. It appears that these measures have contributed in a steady year-by-year reduction of the 30-day mortality rates. Whether we have currently reached a plateau or whether an ongoing reduction in mortality rates will continue to be observed is yet to be seen.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Dionysios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giannoulis
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Calori
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. pgiannoudi@aol.com.|NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Unit, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS7 4SA, UK. pgiannoudi@aol.com.
authors.forename: Peter V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Giannoudis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019091:Critical Pathways; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends
keywords: Complications; Early surgery; Fast-track pathways; Hip fracture; Mortality