BACKGROUND/AIMS: Proximal femoral fractures are one of the most frequently occurring injuries among elderly people. High rates of inpatient treatment indicate the importance of optimized clinical care.
OBJECTIVES: Based on selected outcome parameters in elderly trauma patients with proximal femoral fractures, the current situation of medical care in a trauma center for geriatric patients is presented.
METHODS: For a descriptive evaluation of outcome parameters, 250 patients aged 70 years and older have been included. A clinical register of a trauma center for the elderly served as the database.
RESULTS: The average length of stay was approximately 25 days. Sixty-seven percent of the patients underwent surgical treatment within 24 h of admission to the hospital. More than half of the patients were taking anticoagulant drugs. Around 18 % of patients presented with one or more complications. Mortality rate was 5.2 %. Thirty-two percent of those patients who had been living at home before admission had been discharged to a nursing home.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Analyzing the data of a trauma registry enables critical reflection upon the clinical outcome of interdisciplinary treatment procedures. The low rate of mortality may be a result of the geriatric co-treatment, starting right from admission. It remains unclear whether the influence of preoperative interdisciplinary treatment outweighs the effect of a timely surgical procedure.