Abstract

Abstract Background Frailty has been linked to greater hospitalisation, morbidity, and mortality, and is being increasingly recognised as a possible factor affecting outcomes in trauma. A 2017 TARN report identified that further research was needed to determine the effect of frailty on outcomes in trauma patients. With fragility (low energy) fractures now make up a significant burden of trauma within UK hospitals, this retrospective cohort study investigated whether frailty has a significant effect on outcomes in patients presenting with fragility fractures. Method Notes from all patients aged >60 admitted to a large District General hospital over 1 year with any fragility fracture were reviewed. Age, injury, length of stay, and mortality were recorded. A Rockwood Clinical Frailty Score (CFS) was assigned retrospectively. Results 886 patients were reviewed (male:female 266:620, mean age 82.75). CFS was independently associated with a significant increase in mortality, with every step up in CFS increasing 30-day and 1-year odds of death by 54.8% and 56.2% respectively (P < 0.001). Every step up in CFS independently increased percentage length of stay by 10.1%. Conclusions CFS independently predicts adverse outcome in hospitalised trauma patients with fragility fractures. CFS should be used routinely to identify patients at risk and may assist in allocating limited orthogeriatric resources and supporting national guidelines. Future research should investigate how resources impact outcomes for patients of varying CFS.

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