Location

Philadelphia, PA

Start Date

10-5-2021 12:00 AM

End Date

13-5-2021 12:00 AM

Description

Introduction: Each year, over 300,000 people over the age of 65 are hospitalized for hip fractures, and even with co-management of patients perioperatively with a geriatric team, hip fractures in the elderly are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Given the extreme morbidity and mortality faced by elderly patients in the post-injury period, recommendations have been put forth for the integration of palliative and even hospice care, to help improve patients’ quality of life. Our objectives were to 1) determine the proportion of patients discharged to hospice following hip fracture surgery and their 30-day mortality rates of these patients, and 2) identify the independent predictors of discharge to hospice.

Methods: We retrospectively queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) for all hip fractures surgeries between the years of 2016 and 2018. Included cases were stratified into two cohorts: cases involving a discharge to hospice and non-hospice discharge. Variables assessed included patient demographics, comorbidities, perioperative characteristics, and postoperative outcomes. Differences between hospice and non-hospice patients were compared using chi-squared analysis or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Student’s t-tests for continuous variables. A binary logistic regression model was used to assess independent predictors of hospice discharge with 30-day mortality.

Results: Overall, 31,531 operatively treated hip fractures were identified, of which 281 (0.9%) involved a discharge to hospice. Patients discharged to hospice had a 67% 30-day mortality rate in comparison to 5.6% of patients not discharged to hospice (p < 0.001). Disseminated cancer, dependent functional status, >10% weight loss over six months preoperatively, and preoperative cognitive deficit were the strongest predictors of hospice discharge with 30-day mortality following hip fracture surgery.

Conclusions: Current hospice utilization in hip fracture patients remains low, but 30-day mortality in these patients is high. An awareness of the associations between patient characteristics and discharge to hospice with 30-day mortality is important for surgeons to consider when discussing postoperative expectations and outcomes with these patients.

Embargo Period

6-7-2021

COinS
 
May 10th, 12:00 AM May 13th, 12:00 AM

Predictors of Hospice Discharge Following Surgical Fixation of Hip Fracture

Philadelphia, PA

Introduction: Each year, over 300,000 people over the age of 65 are hospitalized for hip fractures, and even with co-management of patients perioperatively with a geriatric team, hip fractures in the elderly are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Given the extreme morbidity and mortality faced by elderly patients in the post-injury period, recommendations have been put forth for the integration of palliative and even hospice care, to help improve patients’ quality of life. Our objectives were to 1) determine the proportion of patients discharged to hospice following hip fracture surgery and their 30-day mortality rates of these patients, and 2) identify the independent predictors of discharge to hospice.

Methods: We retrospectively queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) for all hip fractures surgeries between the years of 2016 and 2018. Included cases were stratified into two cohorts: cases involving a discharge to hospice and non-hospice discharge. Variables assessed included patient demographics, comorbidities, perioperative characteristics, and postoperative outcomes. Differences between hospice and non-hospice patients were compared using chi-squared analysis or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Student’s t-tests for continuous variables. A binary logistic regression model was used to assess independent predictors of hospice discharge with 30-day mortality.

Results: Overall, 31,531 operatively treated hip fractures were identified, of which 281 (0.9%) involved a discharge to hospice. Patients discharged to hospice had a 67% 30-day mortality rate in comparison to 5.6% of patients not discharged to hospice (p < 0.001). Disseminated cancer, dependent functional status, >10% weight loss over six months preoperatively, and preoperative cognitive deficit were the strongest predictors of hospice discharge with 30-day mortality following hip fracture surgery.

Conclusions: Current hospice utilization in hip fracture patients remains low, but 30-day mortality in these patients is high. An awareness of the associations between patient characteristics and discharge to hospice with 30-day mortality is important for surgeons to consider when discussing postoperative expectations and outcomes with these patients.