Gender and Low Albumin and Oxygen Levels are Risk Factors for Perioperative Pneumonia in Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients

Frailty and Malnutrition as Predictors of Major Complications Following Posterior Thoracolumbar Fusion in Elderly Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

The number of elderly patients with degenerative spinal deformity (DSD) is increasing, and posterior thoracolumbar fusion surgery is an effective treatment option, but there are often postoperative major complications, which may hinder the benefit for elderly patients. Currently, there is no consensus on the best risk assessment technique for predicting major complications in elderly patients undergoing long-segment fusion surgery.

PURPOSE

This study constructs a risk assessment model using the Modified 5-Item Frailty Index (mFI-5) and serum albumin and evaluates its predictive value.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively established database of DSD.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Consecutive patients (aged 65 and older) who underwent open posterior thoracolumbar fusion surgery for DSD between April 2018 and December 2023 were included.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcome measures included postoperative major complications, length of hospital stay [LOS], readmission and reoperation within 30 days, discharge disposition, physiological function recovery.

METHODS

The study reviewed consecutive patients who underwent open posterior thoracolumbar fusion surgery for DSD. Patients were divided into three groups based on the presence or absence of frailty or frailty combined with malnutrition. Spearman ρ analysis was used to assess the correlation between mFI-5 and serum albumin levels. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression were conducted to explore the relationship between frailty and malnutrition defined by mFI-5 and serum albumin and major postoperative complications. Finally, the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of this model for major complications.

RESULTS

Compared to the Normal group (n = 59), both the Frailty group (n = 121) and the Frailty and Malnutrition group (n = 50) had higher rates of major complications (21.5% vs. 8.5%, p = .035; 28% vs. 8.5%, p = .002). Multivariate logistic regression showed that frailty and malnutrition status, higher ASA score, and more bleeding were independent predictors of major postoperative complications. The ROC curve demonstrated that frailty combined with malnutrition defined by mFI-5 and serum albumin had a larger area under the curve compared to mFI-5 or serum albumin alone (AUC: 0.676; 95% CI: 1.101-14.129; p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to considering frailty or malnutrition alone, the combined assessment of frailty and malnutrition using mFI-5 and serum albumin is valuable in predicting major complications in elderly patients undergoing posterior thoracolumbar fusion surgery.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Non-linear relationship between preoperative albumin-globulin ratio and postoperative pneumonia in patients with hip fracture

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is the leading cause of death among patients with hip fractures. Simple and cost-effective markers can be used to assess the risk of these patients. This study aims to investigate the association between POP and preoperative albumin-globulin ratio (AGR) in patients with hip fractures.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 1417 hip fracture patients admitted to the Department of Orthopaedics at the hospital. Generalized additive and logistic regression models were used to determine both linear and non-linear associations between preoperative AGR and POP. A two-piece regression model was employed to determine the threshold effect.

RESULTS

The study included 1417 participants, with a mean age of 77.57 (8.53) years and 26.96% (382/1417) male patients. The prevalence of POP was 6.21%. Following full covariate adjustment, each unit increase in AGR was associated with a 79% reduction in the incidence of POP (OR, 0.23; 95% CI: 0.08-0.63; P = 0.0046). The inflection point was found to be 1.33 using a two-piecewise regression model. For each unit increase in AGR on the left side of the inflection point, the incidence of POP decreased by 93% (OR, 0.07; 95%CI: 0.02-0.34; P = 0.0010). However, there was no statistically significant correlation on the right side of the inflection point (OR, 0.84; 95% CI: 0.17-4.10; P = 0.8287).

CONCLUSION

There exists a non-linear association between preoperative AGR and the incidence of POP in elderly hip fracture patients. When AGR is less than 1.33, the incidence of POP is negatively correlated with AGR. However, there is no correlation when AGR is greater than 1.33.

Early Hip Fracture Surgery Within 24 hours did not Reduce the Mortality Rate but Resulted in Less Postoperative Opioid use and a Shorter Length of Stay: A Retrospective Study of 276 Patients From a Tertiary Private Hospital in Thailand

Introduction

The comparative results of early hip fracture surgery including mortality and postoperative complications in Thailand were not reported. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare the outcomes between patients who received hip surgery within and after 24 hours.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted at a single center, a tertiary private hospital in Thailand. The medical records of patients who were admitted from 2018 to 2020 were reviewed. Patients aged <50 years, high-energy fracture, pathological fractures, or multiple traumas were excluded. The patients were categorized into two groups for comparison: surgery within and surgery after 24 hours groups. The outcome measures were in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality rates, length of stay, and the incidences and severities of postoperative complications.

Results

A total of 276 hip fracture patients were analyzed, with the majority (77.9%) undergoing surgery within 24 hours. Patients who underwent earlier surgery had a significantly shorter hospital stay [6 (4, 9) vs 8 (7, 13) days, P < .001]. The cumulative mortality rates at in-hospital, 30 days, and 1 year were 0%, 1.1%, and 2.5%, respectively. The most common postoperative complications observed were anemia (43.1%) and acute kidney injury (32.6%). However, there were no statistically significant differences in mortality rates (P > .05) or postoperative complications (P = .410) between the two groups.

Conclusion

While surgery within 24 hours showed some benefits, such as a shorter hospital stay and reduced pain rescue, it did not reduce mortality or major complications in hip fracture patients.

Clinical characteristics of elderly hip fracture patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease and construction of a clinical predictive model for perioperative pneumonia

INTRODUCTION

The recovery of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) will increase the incidence of perioperative pneumonia (POP). However, there is limited research on POP in elderly patients with hip fractures complicated by CVD. Therefore, our research focuses on the following two issues: (1) What are the clinical features of elderly patients with hip fractures combined with CVD? (2) What are the predictive factors for the occurrence of POP in such patients?

HYPOTHESIS

Male, femoral neck fracture and hypoalbuminemia can be predictive factors for the development of POP after hip fracture in CVD patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a nested case-control study that included patients aged 65 to 105 years with CVD who had a hip fracture between January 2021 and January 2023. According to the occurrence of POP, they were divided into case group and control group. Collecting data includes demographic information, clinical data, and surgical information. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to select variables. The constructed predictive model was transformed into a nomogram. Predictive performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

We ultimately included 714 patients, 69.3% female, with a median age of 80 years. Asymptomatic cerebral infarction (ACI) is the most common CVD (55.7%). More patients developed intertrochanteric fractures than femoral neck fractures (57.1 vs. 42.9%). In total, 606 patients (84.9%) underwent surgery. The most common perioperative complications were anemia (76.9%) and hypoalbuminemia (71.8%). POP (20.0%) was more common preoperatively (89.5%). Factors such as fracture type, surgical wait time, implant used for surgery, and anesthesia type did not differ between the presence or absence of postoperative pneumonia. 143 patients with POP served as the case group. Five hundred and seventy one patients did not develop POP and served as the control group. The predictors of POP were male (OR 1.699,95%CI 1.150-2.511, p<0.05), femoral neck fracture (OR 2.182,95%CI 1.491-3.192, p<0.05), and hypoalbuminemia (OR 3.062, 95%CI 1.833-5.116, p<0.05). This model has good discrimination, calibration, and clinical practicality.

DISCUSSION

In this study, we constructed a clinical prediction model for the occurrence of POP in CVD combined with hip fracture in the elderly, with risk factors including gender, fracture type and perioperative hypoproteinemia. Therefore, we can take effective preventive measures against the occurrence of POP in patients with these factors in our clinical work.

LEVEL OF PROOF

IV; nested case-control study.

Risk factors for hospital-acquired pneumonia in hip fracture patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to comprehensively assess the prevalence and risk factors for Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in hip fracture patients by meta-analysis.

METHODS

Systematically searched 4 English databases and 4 Chinese databases from inception until October 20, 2022. All studies involving risk factors of HAP in patients with hip fractures will be considered. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. The results were presented through Review Manager 5.4 with the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

Of 35 articles included in this study, the incidence of HAP was 8.9%. 43 risk factors for HAP were initially included, 23 were eventually involved in the meta-analysis, and 21 risk factors were significant. Among them, the 4 most frequently mentioned risk factors were as follows: Advanced age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05-1.10), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR 3.44, 95% CI 2.83-4.19), time from injury to operation (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.07-1.12), time from injury to operation ≥ 48 hours (OR 3.59, 95% CI 2.88-4.48), and hypoalbuminemia < 3.5g/dL (OR 2.68, 95% CI 2.15-3.36).

DISCUSSION

Hip fracture patients diagnosed with COPD have a 3.44 times higher risk of HAP compared to the general hip fracture patients. The risk of HAP also increases with age, with patients over 70 having a 2.34-fold higher risk and those over 80 having a 2.98-fold higher risk. These findings highlight the need for tailored preventive measures and timely interventions in vulnerable patient populations. Additionally, hip fracture patients who wait more than 48 hours for surgery have a 3.59-fold higher incidence of HAP. This emphasizes the importance of swift surgical intervention to minimize HAP risk. However, there are limitations to consider in this study, such as heterogeneity in selected studies, inclusion of only factors identified through multivariate logistic regression, and the focus on non-randomized controlled trial studies.

For Surgically Treated Geriatric Acetabular Fractures, Longer Duration between Admission and Surgery Is Associated with an Increase in Post-operative Complications: A Study Using the National Trauma Data Bank

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to determine whether time from hospital admission to surgery is associated with inpatient complications and mortality for geriatric patients undergoing surgical treatment of acetabular fractures.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study using the National Trauma Data Bank from 2016 to 2018 of patients presenting to level I through IV trauma centers in the United States. All patients aged 60 years or older with acetabular fractures requiring surgical treatment were included. The main outcome measurements were inpatient mortality and complication rates.

RESULTS

There were 6,036 patients who met inclusion criteria. The median age was 69 years (interquartile range 64-76 years). The odds of a complication increased by 7% for each additional day between hospital admission and surgery (multivariable regression OR 1.07, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.10; P < 0.001). Complications were also associated with patient age (OR 1.05, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.06; P < 0.001) and mCCI ≥ 5 (OR 2.52, 95% CI = 1.4 to 4.2; P = 0.001). Inpatient mortality was not associated with time to surgery (OR 0.97, 95% CI = 0.92 to 1.02; P = 0.30), but was associated with patient age (OR 1.07, 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.10; P < 0.001; P < 0.001) and mCCI ≥ 5 (OR 4.62, 95% CI = 2.31 to 8.50; P < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

In this database study, time from hospital admission to surgery was associated with a notable increase in inpatient complications but not inpatient mortality after adjusting for potentially confounding variables while age and mCCI were associated with both mortality and complications. Additional research is needed to determine the relationship between time to surgery with longer term mortality and complications and to assess causality.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level III.

Risk factors for hospital-acquired pneumonia in hip fracture patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to systematically assess the incidence and risk factors for hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in hip fracture patients by meta-analysis.

METHODS

Systematically searched four English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, and Web Of Science) and four Chinese databases (CNKI, CQVIP, Sinomed, and WAN FANG) from inception until 20 November 2023. All studies involving risk factors of HAP in patients with hip fractures were considered. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. The results were presented with the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

RESULTS

Of 35 articles (337,818 patients) included in this study, the incidence of HAP was 89 per 1000 cases. Twenty-three risk factors were eventually involved in the meta-analysis, and 21 risk factors were significant. Our study has identified four significant risk factors (advanced age, preoperative time, COPD, and hypoalbuminemia) associated with HAP, as follows: Advanced age as a continuous variable (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05-1.10), Advanced age > 70 years (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.77-3.09), Advanced age > 80 years (OR 2.98, 95% CI 2.06-4.31), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR 3.44, 95% CI 2.83-4.19), Time from injury to operation as a continuous variable (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.07-1.12), Time from injury to operation ≥48 h (OR 3.59, 95% CI 2.88-4.48), Hypoalbuminemia < 3.0 g/dL (OR 3.03, 95% CI 1.93-4.73), and Hypoalbuminemia < 3.5 g/dL (OR 2.68, 95% CI 2.15-3.36). However, it is important to note that all the studies included in our research were retrospective in nature, which introduces certain limitations to the level of evidence and the ability to establish causal inferences.

DISCUSSION

Patients who have suffered hip fractures are at an increased risk of developing postoperative hospital-acquired pneumonia, which can lead to prolonged hospital stays and adverse clinical outcomes. Consequently, the identification of these risk factors offers novel insights and methodologies for healthcare professionals in terms of both prevention and treatment.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registration number: INPLASY2022100091.

Incidence of Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Related Risk Factors among Elderly Patients Undergoing Surgery for Major Limb Fractures: An Analytical Cohort Study

(1) Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), a major postoperative complication after surgical fixation of major limb fractures, can be fatal but is often neglected. This study determined the incidence rates of and related risk factors for perioperative UGIB among older patients with major upper limb fractures but without a history of peptic ulcer disease (PUD). (2) Methods: We collected the data of patients aged more than 65 years who underwent surgery for major limb fracture between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2017, from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database and excluded those with a history of UGIB and PUD before the date of surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of UGIB requiring panendoscopy during hospitalization. A multiple logistic regression model was used to identify the independent predictors of UGIB, with adjustment for confounding factors. The final model included variables that were either statistically significant in univariate analyses or deemed clinically important. (3) Results: The incidence of UGIB was 2.8% among patients with major limb fractures. Male sex, older age, major lower limb fracture, and a history of chronic renal disease were significant risk factors for the increased incidence of perioperative UGIB. (4) Conclusions: Patients with major limb fractures who underwent surgery exhibited a higher rate of stress ulceration with UGIB, even when they had no history of PUD. Perioperative preventive protocols (e.g., protocols for the administration of proton-pump inhibitors) may be necessary for patients with these major risk factors.

Development of a prediction model for postoperative complications and economic burden analysis in older patients with hip fractures

Purpose

The high rates of disability and mortality due to postoperative complications of hip fractures in the elderly, especially the oldest-old individuals, have become an increasingly serious global public health concern. This study aimed to establish a nomogram prediction model and analyze the economic burden to guide clinical decision-making and improve patient prognosis.

Methods

Data of 514 patients aged over 80 years with hip fractures who received surgical treatment were retrospectively collected, and the patients were divided into training and validation cohorts. Independent risk factors for postoperative complications were identified based on logistic regression analysis, and a nomogram was constructed. The model was evaluated for its discrimination and consistency using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves, and for its clinical benefit using decision curve analysis (DCA). The economic burden was analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification ≥Ⅲ, anemia, male sex, diabetes mellitus, and the number of comorbidities were found to be independent risk factors for postoperative complications in oldest-old patients with hip fracture (all P < 0.05). The areas under the curve (AUC) of the nomogram prediction model for the training and validation cohorts were 0.743 and 0.767, respectively, indicating reliable discrimination. The calibration curves and DCA showed that the model has good consistency and high benefits. The direct economic burden of postoperative complications for the patients was US$1045.10.

Conclusions

The nomogram model can accurately quantify the risk of postoperative complications among oldest-old patients with hip fractures and guide clinical professionals to implement early and targeted preventive treatment for high-risk patients.

Relationship between preoperative red blood cell distribution width and postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with hip fracture: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The relationship between the preoperative red blood cell distribution width and postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with hip fractures remains unclear. This study investigated whether the preoperative red blood cell distribution width was associated with postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with hip fractures.

METHODS

Clinical data of patients with hip fractures in the Department of orthopedics of a hospital from January 2012 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. A generalized additive model was used to identify both linear and nonlinear relationships between red blood cell distribution width and postoperative pneumonia. A two-piecewise linear regression model was used to calculate the saturation effect. Subgroup analyses were performed using stratified logistic regression.

RESULTS

This study included a total of 1444 patients. The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was 6.30% (91/1444), the mean age of the patients was 77.55 ± 8.75 years, and 73.06% of them (1055/1444) were female. After full adjustment for covariates, the preoperative red blood cell distribution width showed a nonlinear relationship with postoperative pneumonia. The two-piecewise regression model showed an inflection point at 14.3%. On the left side of the inflection point, the incidence of postoperative pneumonia increased by 61% for every 1% increase in red blood cell distribution width (OR: 1.61, 95% CI 1.13-2.31, P = 0.0089). The effect size was not statistically significant on the right side of the inflection point (OR: 0.83, 95% CI 0.61-1.12, P = 0.2171).

CONCLUSION

The relationship between preoperative red blood cell distribution width and incidence or postoperative pneumonia was nonlinear in elderly patients with hip fractures. The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was positively correlated with red blood cell distribution width when it was < 14.3%. A saturation effect was observed when the red blood cell distribution width reached 14.3%.

Hepatocyte-derived Microparticles as Novel Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Deep Venous Thrombosis in Trauma Patients

Venous thromboembolism is a common complication following trauma. We investigated the dynamics of plasma microparticles (MPs) levels and explored their potential as biomarkers of deep vein thromboembolism (DVT) after trauma. A total of 775 patients with traumatic fractures were recruited in this nested study. About 106 trauma patients (53 DVT subjects and 53 age-, sex-, and fracture site-matched non-DVT subjects) and 53 healthy volunteers met the enrollment criteria. MPs were characterized by transmission electron microscope, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and western blotting. Circulating levels of MPs were measured using a flow cytometer. Meanwhile, routine laboratory parameters were examined in all patients. Compared to non-DVT patients, DVT patients had higher circulating phosphatidylserine (PS) + MPs, hepatocyte-derived MPs (HMPs), PS + HMPs, and platelet-derived MPs (PMPs). Notably, PS + HMPs had the best predictive value for DVT diagnosis in trauma patients (area under the curve [AUC] 0.8939, 95% CI 0.8326 to 0.9552), which was superior to d-dimer (AUC 0.5881). The Hepatic Procoagulant Index combined plasma levels of PS + HMPs and albumin, increasing the AUC to 0.8978 (95% CI 0.8396 to 0.9561). This is the first study that addressed circulating PS + HMPs are promising biomarkers with high performance in diagnosing DVT. The Hepatic Procoagulant Index is a potential predictor of DVT in trauma patients.

Incidence and risk factors for postoperative nosocomial pneumonia in elderly patients with hip fractures: A single-center study

Objective

Postoperative nosocomial pneumonia is a terrible complication, especially for elderly patients. This study attempts to investigate the incidence and risk factors for postoperative nosocomial pneumonia and its influence on hospitalization stay in elderly patients with hip fractures.

Methods

This study retrospectively retrieved hospitalization records of patients who presented a hip fracture and underwent surgeries in our institution between January 2014 and December 2021. Postoperative new-onset pneumonia was determined in accordance with discharge diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the associated risk factors with pneumonia, and its influence on total hospitalization stay or postoperative hospitalization stay was investigated by multivariate linear regression analyses.

Results

Totally, 808 patients were included, among whom 54 developed a pneumonia representing the incidence rate of 6.7% (95% CI, 5.0%-8.4%). Six factors were identified as independently associated with pneumonia, including advanced age (OR, 1.50 for each 10-year increment), history of chronic respiratory disease (OR, 4.61), preoperative DVT (OR, 3.51), preoperative delay to operation (OR, 1.07 for each day), surgical duration ≥120 min (OR, 4.03) and arthroplasty procedure (OR, 4,39). When adjusted for above confounders, pneumonia was significantly positively associated with total hospitalization stay (standardized coefficient, 0.110; p < 0.001) and postoperative hospitalization stay (standardized coefficient, 0.139; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study identified multiple factors associated with postoperative pneumonia and its influence on prolonging hospitalization stay, which would facilitate preventive targeted intervention into implementation for individuals with different risk profiles.

Age- and sex-related differences in community-acquired pneumonia at presentation to the emergency department: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Because of its associated high morbidity and mortality, early identification and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are essential.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate age- and sex-related differences in clinical symptoms, radiologic findings and outcomes in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with CAP.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Patients admitted to one Swiss ED with radiologically confirmed CAP between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018.

OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS

Primary aim was to evaluate differences in clinical and radiologic presentation of men vs. women and patients >65 years vs. <65 years with CAP. Secondary outcomes were age- and sex-related differences in terms of Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) risk class, need for ICU referral, mechanical ventilation, in-hospital mortality, 30-day readmission and 180-day pneumonia recurrence.

MAIN RESULTS

In total 467 patients with CAP were included. 211 were women (45%). 317 were ≥65 years (68%), of which 145 were women (46%). Older patients less commonly reported chest pain (13 vs. 27%; effect size 14%; 95% CI, 0.07-0.23), fever (39 vs. 53%, effect size 14%; 95% CI, 0.05-0.24), chills (6 vs. 20%; effect size 14%; 95% CI, 0.08-0.0.214), cough (44 vs. 57%; effect size 13%; 95% CI, 0.03-0.22), headache (5 vs. 15%, effect size 10%, 95% CI, 0.04-0.17) and myalgias (5 vs. 19%; effect size 14%; 95% CI, 0.07-0.21). However, 85% of patients with no symptoms were ≥65 years. PSI was lower in women [95 (SD 31) vs. 104 (SD 31); 95% CI, -14.44 to 2.35] and sputum was more common in men (32 vs. 22%; effect size 10%; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.02). Raw mortality was higher in elderly patients [14 vs. 3%; odds ratio (OR), 4.67; 95% CI, 1.81-12.05], whereas it was similar in men and women (11 vs. 10%; OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.67-2.23).

CONCLUSION

Patients, less than 65 years with CAP presenting to the ED had significantly more typical symptoms such as chest pain, fever, chills, cough, headache and myalgias than those being above 65 years. No relevant differences between men and women were found in clinical presentation, except for PSI on admission, and radiologic findings and neither age nor sex was a predictor for mortality in CAP.

Red Cell Distribution Width-to-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio (RHR): A Promising Novel Predictor for Preoperative Deep Vein Thrombosis in Geriatric Patients with Hip Fracture

Background

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a devastating complication in geriatric patients before hip fracture surgery, and the predictive value of red cell distribution width (RDW) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) for DVTs after hip fracture remains to be established. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of RDW, HDL-C, and RDW-to-HDL-C ratio (RHR) in preoperative DVTs screening.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the data of geriatric patients (≥65 years old) admitted for hip fracture surgery between 2015 and 2020. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and related parameters were used to evaluate the predictive value of the biomarkers. Patients were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value of RHR, and propensity score matching (PSM) and subgroup analyses were performed to assess the true correlations between RHR and DVT.

Results

Among 2566 eligible patients included, we identified RDW with the area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.532, cut-off value of 15.89, specificity of 88.2%, sensitivity of 18.2%, HDL-C with AUC of 0.574, cut-off value of 1.20, specificity of 55.6%, sensitivity of 59.3%, and RHR with AUC of 0.578, cut-off value of 13.45, specificity of 71.3%, sensitivity of 43.4%. RHR (>13.45) was independently associated with 1.54-fold risk (95% CI: 1.11–2.14, P=0.011) of DVTs among the post-PSM cohort. And compared with the counterparts, the relative risk of RHR associated with DVT was higher in the subgroups of aged 65–79 years (1.61 vs 1.45), non-hypoproteinemia (2.70 vs 1.29), non-diabetic (1.58 vs 1.41), non-hypertension (2.40 vs 1.06), ASA score I-II (2.38 vs 1.04), and femoral neck fracture (1.70 vs 1.50).

Conclusion

RDW, HDL-C and RHR were valuable biomarkers in predicting preoperative DVTs in geriatric patients with hip fracture, and RHR would be more efficient in the subgroups of younger age, better medical condition or femoral neck fracture.

Determination of risk factors of postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with hip fracture: What can we do?

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pneumonia is a serious complication in elderly patients with hip fracture. It is necessary to identify the influencing factors of postoperative pneumonia in patients with hip fracture.

METHODS

Elderly patients with hip fractures admitted to a tertiary hospital in China from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021 were included. The characteristics of patients with and without postoperative pneumonia were evaluated and compared. Logistic multivariate regression analyses were conducted to assess the risk factors of postoperative pneumonia.

RESULTS

267 patients with hip fracture were included, the incidence of postoperative pneumonia in patients with hip fracture was 13.11%. There were significant differences in the age, diabetes mellitus, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, anesthesia method and duration of surgery between infection and no infection group, no significant differences in the gender, BMI, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type of fracture, preoperative oxygen saturation, white blood cell count, platelet count, red blood cell count, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, estimated blood loss during surgery were detected between infection and no infection group. Logistic regression analysis showed that age≥70y (OR2.326, 95%CI1.248~3.129), diabetes mellitus (OR2.123, 95%CI1.021~3.551), anemia (OR3.199,95%CI1.943~5.024), hypoalbuminemia (OR2.377, 95%CI1.211~3.398), general anesthesia (OR1.947, 95%CI1.115~3.038), duration of surgery≥120min (OR1.621, 95%CI1.488~2.534) were the risk factors of postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with hip fracture (all p<0.05). Escherichia Coli (33.33%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (28.57%), Staphylococcus aureus (21.43%) were the most common bacteria of pulmonary infection.

CONCLUSION

There are many risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in elderly patients with hip fractures after surgery. In clinical practice, medical workers should take targeted interventions for those risk factors to reduce postoperative pneumonia.

Risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is a devastating complication that can frequently occur after hip fracture surgery. This study aimed to quantitatively and comprehensively summarize the risk factors for POP following hip fracture surgery.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies assessing risk factors for POP following hip fracture surgery. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and standardized mean difference (SMD) between patients with and without POP were calculated. Evidence was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

RESULTS

Ten studies including 37,130 patients with hip fractures were selected. POP occurred in 1768 cases with an accumulated incidence of 7.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.061-0.094). Advanced age (SMD: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.10-0.90), male sex (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.12-2.01), American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status scale ≥3 (OR: 3.17, 95% CI: 1.25-8.05), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.43-2.94), coronary heart disease (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.27-2.60), arrhythmia (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.04-2.15), congestive heart failure (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.14-1.75), chronic kidney disease (OR: 2.09, 95% CI: 1.28-3.41), and cerebrovascular accident (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.60-2.85) were risk factors for POP. Hemoglobin (SMD: -0.14, 95% CI: - 0.25 to - 0.03), albumin (SMD: -0.97, 95% CI: - 1.54--0.41), blood urea nitrogen (SMD: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.03-0.37), alanine aminotransferase (SMD: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.10-0.44), arterial oxygen pressure (SMD: -0.49, 95% CI: - 0.71--0.27), time from injury to surgery (SMD: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.08-0.17), and surgery within 48 h (OR: 3.74, 95% CI: 2.40-5.85) were associated with the development of POP.

CONCLUSION

Patients with the aforementioned risk factors should be identified preoperatively, and related prophylaxis strategies should be implemented to prevent POP following hip fracture surgery.

Risk Factors for Postoperative Pneumonia in the Elderly Following Hip Fracture Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Pneumonia is a serious complication following hip fracture surgery in older people. However, the prevalence and risk factors of postoperative pneumonia (POP) are not well-established. This study identified pre- and peri-operative factors associated with the development of POP following hip fracture surgery. Methods: We searched the Cochrane library, PubMed, and Embase databases for relevant articles published up to June 2021. Studies involving older patients who underwent hip fracture surgery were considered if they detailed the demographic or surgical characteristics of the participants. For all analyses, the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. Results: A total of 24 studies (288819 participants) were included. The overall prevalence of POP following hip fracture surgery was 5.0%. There were 36 risk factors for POP, and the meta-analysis included the five most common: delayed surgery (OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.29-2.63), low serum albumin (OR: 2.34, 95% CI: .82-6.73), chronic respiratory diseases (OR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.82-3.24), increased age (OR: 1.25, 95% CI:1.11-1.40), and male sex (OR: 2.22, 95% CI: 2.00-2.47). Conclusions: The prevalence of POP was 5.0% following hip fracture surgery in the elderly. Older age, male sex, chronic respiratory diseases, delayed surgery, and low serum albumin were significant risk factors. Clinicians treating hip fracture patients must remain be aware of these risk factors.

What Level Should Preoperative Albumin of Thoracic and Lumbar Tuberculosis Patients Be Reached: A Case-Controlled Study

Objective

To explore the risk factors of hypoalbuminemia in patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis and develop a scoring scale, according to which the patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis were divided into 2 groups to, respectively calculate the perioperative albumin changes and to find out the preoperative albumin recommended value.

Methods

A total of 166 patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis, who underwent spinal focus debridement between January 2012 to May 2020, were identified into 2 groups: with and without postoperative hypoalbuminemia (n = 131 and n = 35, respectively), recording and analyzing clinical characteristics by multivariate analysis to establish a scoring scale. Using this scale, patients with spinal tuberculosis were divided into a high-risk group and a low-risk group, and then, calculated the average decrease of postoperative albumin in both groups. Combined with the diagnostic threshold of hypoalbuminemia, we proposed the preoperative albumin safe values of the patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis.

Results

A total of 131 of 166 patients experienced postoperative hypoalbuminemia after spinal focus debridement. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis identified pulmonary tuberculosis (adjusted odds ratio = 0.270, p = 0.012), pre-operative serum albumin value (adjusted odds ratio = 0.754, p < 0.001), and operation time (adjusted odds ratio = 1.017, p = 0.002) as independent risk factors for the occurrence of postoperative hypoalbuminemia in patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis. According to the OR value, the risk factors are assigned to make the scoring scale, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve indicates that postoperative hypoalbuminemia rises when the score is greater than or equal to 4 points. The scoring scale is tested in the derivation set (166 patients) showed: sensitivity-51.9%, specificity-91.4%, and in the validation set (102 patients) showed: sensitivity-63.6% and specificity-86.1%. The perioperative albumin decreased value is 4.71 ± 2.66 g/L in the low-risk group and 8.99 ± 3.37 g/L in the high-risk group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis, low preoperative albumin value and long operation time can lead to postoperative hypoalbuminemia in patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis. The scoring scale can effectively assist physicians to evaluate whether patients with thoracic and lumbar tuberculosis develop hypoalbuminemia after surgery. The scale is simple and reliable and has clinical guiding significance. For low-risk patients and high-risk patients, preoperative albumin values should reach 40 and 44 g/L, respectively, to effectively avoid postoperative hypoalbuminemia.

Incidence and risk factors for postoperative pneumonia following surgically treated hip fracture in geriatric patients: a retrospective cohort study

Objective

Large sample investigations for risk factors for pneumonia in elderly patients after hip fracture surgeries are lacking. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence and risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in geriatric patients following hip fracture operations.

Methods

A retrospective study of incidence and risk factors in a tertiary referral center between 2016 and 2020 was conducted. Geriatric patients who developed postoperative pneumonia after surgeries of hip fracture during hospitalization stay were defined as cases and those without as controls. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate risk factors for postoperative pneumonia.

Results

This study included 3147 patients, and 182 developed postoperative pneumonia, denoting the rate of 5.8%. In the multivariate analyses, age (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.02–1.06), sex (males) (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.64–3.13), respiratory disease (OR 3.74; 95% CI 2.32–6.04), heart disease (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.14–2.47), cerebrovascular disease (OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.11–2.27), liver disease (OR 2.61; 95% CI 1.33–5.15), preoperative stay (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.05–1.11) and general anesthesia (OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.15–2.27) were identified as independent risk factors for postoperative pneumonia.

Conclusions

This study identified several risk factors for pneumonia in geriatric patients after hip fracture operations, providing a viable preventive strategy for optimizing clinical conditions for reduction of postoperative pneumonia.

Value of Postoperative Serum Albumin to Predict Postoperative Complication Severity in Spinal Tuberculosis

Background

Many complications occur after surgery in patients with spinal tuberculosis (STB); however, the severity varies in different patients. The complications' severity is evaluated from grades I to V by the Clavien–Dindo classification (CDC), and grade V is the most severe. Most complications are mild, and only severe complications are life threatening, and thus, it is important to identify severe complications in patients with STB. The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors of postoperative complication severity in patients with STB.

Methods

Between January 2012 and May 2021, a retrospective study included 188 patients that underwent STB debridement surgery. The patients were divided into three groups based on postoperative complication severity. Clinical characteristics measured included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities of diabetes mellitus and pulmonary tuberculosis, alcohol use and smoking history, course of disease, preoperative hemoglobin, preoperative serum albumin, preoperative lymphocytes, preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP), surgical approach, operating time, blood loss during surgery, postoperative hemoglobin, and postoperative serum albumin. The clinical characteristics of patients with STB who developed postoperative complications were evaluated using logistic regression analysis.

Results

188 patients suffered at least one postoperative complication; 77, 91, and 20 patients experienced grade I, II, and III-IV complications, respectively. In the univariate analysis, sex, diabetes mellitus, postoperative hemoglobin, and postoperative albumin are statistically significant. In the multivariable analysis, postoperative albumin (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.861, P < 0.001) was an independent risk factor of the postoperative complication severity in patients with STB. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the optimal cutoff values for postoperative albumin were 32 g/L (sensitivity: 0.571, specificity: 0.714, area under the ROC curve: 0.680) and 30 g/L (sensitivity: 0.649, specificity: 0.800, area under the ROC curve: 0.697) for grade II and grade III-IV complications, respectively.

Conclusions

Postoperative albumin is an independent risk factor for postoperative complication severity in patients with STB. The improvement of postoperative albumin levels may reduce the risk of severe complications in patients with STB.

Blood Urea Nitrogen to Serum Albumin Ratio in the Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury of Patients with Rib Fracture in Intensive Care Unit

Background

We hypothesized that the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) to serum albumin ratio (BAR) could serve as an independent predictor for incident acute kidney injury (AKI) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with rib fracture.

Methods

Rib fracture patients in ICU were extracted from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV v1.0) database. The primary outcome in this study was the incidence of AKI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between BAR and AKI and propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were also applied to assure the robustness of our results.

Results

The optimal cut-off value for BAR was 5.26 based on receiver operator characteristic curve. Among the 953 patients who diagnosed with rib fracture, 197 high-BAR group (≥5.26) patients and 197 low-BAR group (<5.26) patients who had similar propensity scores were finally included in the matched cohort. High-BAR group patients had a significantly higher incidence of AKI (odds ratio, OR, 3.85, 95% confidence index, 95% CI, 2.58–5.79, P<0.001) in the original cohort, in the matched cohort (OR, 4.47, 95% CI 2.71–7.53, P<0.001), and in the weighted cohort (OR, 4.28, 95% CI 2.80–6.53, P<0.001). Furthermore, BAR was superior to that of acute physiology score III for predicting AKI and could add more net benefit for incident AKI in critical care patients with rib fracture.

Conclusion

As an easily access and cost-effective parameter, BAR could serve as a good diagnostic predictor for AKI in ICU patients with rib fracture.

The application of patient-centered care bundle significantly reduces incidence of perioperative respiratory complications in hip fracture patients aged 80 and over

This study was designed as a pilot test to analyze the effect of patient-centered care (PCC) bundle intervention on perioperative respiratory complications and other outcomes in hip fracture patients aged ≥80. Between Jan 2018 and Dec 2019, 198 patients comprised the routine care group and 187 comprised the PCC bundle group. After propensity score matching, 151 remained in each group. Incidence of perioperative respiratory complications in the PCC bundle group was significantly lower than in the routine care group (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, significant reductions were observed in surgery delay, length of stay, incidence of arrhythmia, hypoproteinemia, and electrolyte disturbance (all P < 0.05) in the PCC bundle group. Age-Adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index score was related, but only weakly, to length of stay and the number of perioperative complications. These results suggested that the PCC bundle might be a more suitable care modality for patients ≥80 with hip fracture.

Partial pressure of oxygen level at admission as a predictor of postoperative pneumonia after hip fracture surgery in a geriatric population: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To identify whether the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO₂) level at admission is an independent risk factor as a prognostic biomarker to predict postoperative pneumonia (POP) in the geriatric population who have undergone hip fracture surgical repair at our hospital.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

This is a retrospective chart review of POP after hip fracture surgery in China.

PARTICIPANTS

In training cohort, patients aged ≥65 years who had hip fracture surgery between 1 January 2018 and 30 November 2019. In the validation cohort, a series of patients who underwent hip fracture surgery between 1 January 2020 and 28 February 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to obtain the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and cut-off values of PaO₂ to predict POP. A binomial logistic regression model was used to identify potential risk factors for POP by analysing demographic distribution factors, laboratory results, preoperative comorbidities and surgical factors. Then the regression model was validated using an independent cohort.

RESULTS

In the training cohort, ROC curves were generated to compare the predictive performance of PaO₂ for the occurrence of POP, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.653 (95% CI 0.577 to 0.729, p<0.0001), with sensitivity and specificity values of 60.0% and 63.8%, respectively. The cut-off value of the PaO₂ for POP was 72.5 mm Hg. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that hypoxaemia (PaO₂ <72.5 mm Hg) at hospital admission (OR=3.000, 95% CI 1.629 to 5.528; p<0.0001) was independent risk factors associated with POP after hip fracture surgery. In the validation cohort, PaO₂ had a predictive effect for POP (AUC 0.71, 95% CI 0.541 to 0.891).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study revealed that the PaO₂ level at hospital admission is a simple and widely available biomarker predictor of POP after hip fracture surgery in elderly patients.

Lactic Dehydrogenase to Albumin Ratio Is Associated With the Risk of Stroke-Associated Pneumonia in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is one of the common complications of stroke patients. Higher lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and lower albumin levels were associated with SAP, but the contribution of the LDH to albumin ratio (LAR) to the risk of SAP in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients remained unclear. Methods: A total of 3173 AIS patients were included in this study, divided into SAP (n = 417) and non-SAP groups (n = 2756). Characteristics were compared between these two groups. The receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used to evaluate the discrimination ability of the LAR, LDH, and albumin levels in predicting SAP. Logistic regression analysis was furtherly adopted to estimate the association between LAR and SAP. We also used the restricted cubic spline (RCS) to clarify the relationship between LAR and the risk of SAP. Results: LAR in the SAP group was significantly higher than that of the non-SAP group (8.75 ± 4.58 vs. 6.10 ± 2.55, P < 0.001). According to the results of ROC, LAR had the highest prognostic accuracy compared to LDH and albumin (P < 0.05). Besides, the logistic regression model showed that higher LAR (LAR > 6.75) were more vulnerable to SAP (OR, 2.80; 95% CI, 2.18-3.59, P < 0.001), controlling the confounders. The RCS model showed that there was a non-linear relationship between LAR and the risk of SAP. Conclusion: High LAR was associated with an increased risk of SAP in patients with AIS. LAR may be a potential predictor for the incidence of SAP. Appropriate prevention measures were needed in patients with high LAR (LAR > 6.75).

Orthogeriatric co-management for the care of older subjects with hip fracture: recommendations from an Italian intersociety consensus

BACKGROUND

Health outcomes of older subjects with hip fracture (HF) may be negatively influenced by multiple comorbidities and frailty. An integrated multidisciplinary approach (i.e. the orthogeriatric model) is, therefore, highly recommended, but its implementation in clinical practice suffers from the lack of shared management protocols and poor awareness of the problem. The present consensus document has been implemented to address these issues.

AIM

To develop evidence-based recommendations for the orthogeriatric co-management of older subjects with HF.

METHODS

A 20-member Expert Task Force of geriatricians, orthopaedics, anaesthesiologists, physiatrists, physiotherapists and general practitioners was established to develop evidence-based recommendations for the pre-, peri-, intra- and postoperative care of older in-patients (≥ 65 years) with HF. A modified Delphi approach was used to achieve consensus, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force system was used to rate the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence.

RESULTS

A total of 120 recommendations were proposed, covering 32 clinical topics and concerning preoperative evaluation (11 topics), perioperative (8 topics) and intraoperative (3 topics) management, and postoperative care (10 topics).

CONCLUSION

These recommendations should ease and promote the multidisciplinary management of older subjects with HF by integrating the expertise of different specialists. By providing a convenient list of topics of interest, they might assist in identifying unmet needs and research priorities.

In-Hospital Postoperative Pneumonia Following Geriatric Intertrochanteric Fracture Surgery: Incidence and Risk Factors

Purpose

The in-hospital death rate in cases of hip fracture ranges from 6% to 10%. Pneumonia is a serious complication for hip fracture patients that contributes to longer hospital stays and higher mortality rates; however, the prevalence and risk factors are not well established. To address this issue, the present study investigated the incidence of and risk factors for in-hospital postoperative pneumonia (IHPOP) following geriatric intertrochanteric fracture surgery.

Patients and Methods

Information on 1495 geriatric patients (>65 years) who underwent intertrochanteric fracture surgery at our hospital between October 2014 and December 2018 was extracted from a prospective hip fracture database and reviewed. Demographic information, clinical variables including surgical data, and preoperative laboratory indices that could potentially influence IHPOP were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed and the optimum cutoff value for quantitative data was determined. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify risk factors for IHPOP.

Results

The incidence of IHPOP following geriatric intertrochanteric fracture surgery was 3.5% (53/1495 cases). The multivariate analysis showed that age >82 years (odds ratio [OR]=2.54, p=0.004), male sex (OR=2.13, p=0.017), chronic respiratory disease (OR=5.02, p<0.001), liver disease (OR=3.39, p=0.037), urinary tract infection (OR=8.46, p=0.005), creatine kinase (CK) MB>20 U/l (OR=2.31, p=0.020), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) ≥75 ng/l (OR=4.02, p=0.001), and d-dimer >2.26 mg/l (OR=2.69, p=0.002) were independent risks factor for the incidence of IHPOP following geriatric intertrochanteric fracture surgery.

Conclusion

The incidence of IHPOP was 3.5% following geriatric intertrochanteric fracture surgery; age, male sex, chronic respiratory disease, liver disease, urinary tract infection, CKMB, BNP, and d-dimer were significant risk factors. Targeted preoperative management based on these factors could reduce the risk of IHPOP and mortality in these patients.