Joint Geriatric Care for Hip Fractures Linked to Fewer Hospital Deaths
Graded Moderate — retrospective before-and-after study of 872 patients over 23 months at one hospital, though mortality figures were unadjusted.
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- Participants
- 872
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- Funding
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This study suggests shared geriatric and surgical care may improve hospital outcomes after hip fractures.
When geriatric doctors teamed up with surgeons to care for older hip fracture patients, deaths in hospital dropped from 7.7% to 2.9%. The study looked back at 872 patients aged 65 and up in one hospital, before and after the joint unit opened. Prescriptions for vitamin D, calcium and bone drugs jumped, while injected haloperidol for delirium fell by about half. For families of older relatives, this shows how much the care model around a fracture may matter. The death numbers were not adjusted for differences between groups, so the unit cannot be proven as the cause.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.
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