Admission Norton scale scores (ANSS) and postoperative complications following hip fracture surgery in the elderly

Abstract

We sought to determine if low ANSS, usually associated with high pressure ulcer risk, are also associated with postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality following hip fracture surgery in the elderly. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary medical center. The medical charts of consecutive elderly (≥65 years) patients admitted for hip fracture surgery were studied for the following measurements: ANSS, demographic data, co-morbidities, postoperative complications, the need for revision procedures, and in-hospital mortality. Except for pressure ulcers, postoperative complications included: acute coronary syndrome, acute renal failure, confusion, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, venous thromboembolism, and wound infection. The final cohort included 269 patients: 198 (73.6%) females and 71 (26.4%) males. Mean age for the entire cohort was 82.8±0.4 years. Most patients underwent an internal fixation (n=146; 54.3%) or hemiarthroplasty (n=92; 34.2%). Overall, 110 (40.9%) patients had low (<15) ANSS. Patients with low ANSS had significantly more postoperative complications relative to patients with high ANSS (0.77±0.09 vs. 0.23±0.04; p<0.0001). Among all postoperative complications, urinary tract infection was independently associated with low ANSS (p<0.0001). ANSS were independently associated with postoperative complications (p<0.0001), the need for revision procedures (p=0.019), and in-hospital mortality (p=0.016). We conclude that the Norton scoring system may be used for predicting postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality following hip fracture surgery in the elderly.