PHILADELPHIA: Older people who suffer hip fractures are more likely to die if they are discharged from hospital inside 10 days, a study shows.
Hip fracture is the most severe and common fracture in the elderly and is associated with an increased risk of death.
Researchers found that for patients in 2006 who stayed in hospital for less than 10 days, each day’s reduction increased the risk of death within 30 days of discharge by eight per cent.
This had increased to 16 per cent by 2012, claimed the study.
For those who stayed more than 10 days there was no link between risk of death and shorter length of stay by day.
The study, which analysed data from all patients aged over 50 who suffered hip fractures between 2006 and 2012, showed that while the population aged over this threshold increased by 16 per cent during the seven-year period, the number of hospital beds reduced by around eight per cent.
It also found the average length of stay in hospital went down from 14.2 days in 2006 to 11.6 days in 2012…