One-year outcome of hip fracture patients admitted to a Singapore hospital: quality of life post-treatment

Lee AYJ, Chua BSY, Howe TS
Correspondence: Ms Janise Lee Ai Ye, jaslin_lurve@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Introduction A prospective and consecutive documentation of hip fracture care was performed. Outcomes, including quality of life, mortality, complication rates, were documented; and mobility, ambulatory status, freedom from pain and activities of daily living one year before and after treatment, were compared.
Methods We prospectively reviewed the medical records of 70 consecutive patients admitted to the Singapore General Hospital, following either a cervical or intertrochanteric femoral fracture from February 2004 to May 2004. Patients' progress was reviewed at one year post-treatment, and the EuroQOL was used to quantify the patients' quality of life. Description of any problems encountered was also recorded.
Results The follow-up rate at one year for the 70 patients described in this report was 98.6 percent. Mortality rate was 27.1 percent. Early complication rate was 5.7 percent. Outcome was satisfactory in all but two patients. Mortality for surgically-operated patients was 25.4 percent. About a quarter of the patients had excellent ambulatory status and 40.0 percent were able to walk independently. Eight percent suffered from falls after discharge, but no recurrence of hip fracture was recorded. None was re-admitted under suspicion of hip fracture. The average self-scoring system (EuroQOL) yielded an average of 66.6 out of 100.
Conclusion Hip fractures can be treated surgically with good results and low early complication rates, without drastically affecting patients' quality of life.

Keywords: fracture outcome, hip fracture, post-treatment outcome, quality of life
Singapore Med J 2007; 48(11): 996–999