Very poor prognosis after a conservatively treated hip fracture in the most frail nursing home residents

Abstract

Purpose: In very frail nursing home residents transport to the hospital for diagnostics in case of a suspected hip fracture might be considered too burdensome or not desirable. We aimed to elucidate the prognosis and disease course for this group. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study between 2017 and 2020 in a nursing home in the Netherlands. All patients with a suspected hip fracture were eligible. The main exclusion criteria was transport to the hospital for diagnostics. Our primary outcome is survival after one month. Results: 23 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Median age was 84 years. Almost all patients had severe dementia. After one month 20 patients (87%) had died. Median survival was 5 days (interquartile range 3-8). Conclusion: In the most frail nursing home residents with a suspected hip fracture the prognosis is very poor with a median survival of only 5 days.