Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 71 million confirmed global cases and 1.6 million deaths. Hip fractures are a major global health burden with 70 000 admissions per annum in the UK.
This multicentre UK study aimed to assess the impact of perioperative COVID-19 status on 30-day and 120-day mortality after a hip fracture.
A prospective multicentre study of 10 hospitals in South England comprising eight DGHs and two MTCs treating c.8% of the annual incidence of hip fractures in England was performed. All fragility hip fractures presenting between 1st March to 30th April 2020 were eligible for inclusion. COVID-19 infection was diagnosed after a positive PCR swab.
Expected 30-day mortality was calculated using the Nottingham Hip Fracture Score (NHFS), with non COVID-19 30-day mortality compared against the same study period in 2019.
746 patients were included in this study with 87 (12%) testing positive for COVID-19. Crude 30-day mortality for COVID-19 positive hip fractures was 35% compared to 6% for COVID-19 negative patients, with COVID-19 positive 30-mortality rates being significantly higher than expected based on NHFS alone (RR 3.0, 95% CI 1.57–5.75, p<0.001). There was no significant difference between expected NHFS and actual 2019 and COVID-19 negative hip fracture rates (p>0.05).
Overall 120-day mortality was significantly higher for COVID-19 positive (46%) compared to COVID-19 negative (15%) hip fractures (p<0.001). However, mortality rates from 31–120 days were not significantly different despite COVID-19 status (p=0.107).
COVID-19 results in significant increases in both 30 and 120-day mortality, above the expected mortality rates when confounding comorbidities are accounted for by the NHFS. However, COVID-19 positive patients who survive beyond 30-days have comparable mortality rates up to 120-days when compared to COVID-19 negative patients. Efforts should therefore be made to mitigate known risks for 30-day mortality such as time to theatre, to improve 30-day mortality rates in COVID-19 positive patients thus increasing the likelihood of long-term survival.
