Objective: To determine the effect of admission hemoglobin level on patient outcome after hip fracture.
Study design: Prospective, consecutive.
Patients: From July 1991 to June 1997, 395 community-dwelling patients sixty-five years of age or older who had sustained an operatively treated femoral neck or intertrochanteric fracture were prospectively followed up.
Main outcome measurements: Postoperative complications, in-hospital mortality rate, hospital length of stay, hospital discharge status, place of residence at one year, and mortality and recovery of ambulatory ability and activities of daily living status at three, six, and twelve months.
Results: Women with admission hemoglobin levels below 12.0 grams per deciliter and men with admission hemoglobin levels below 13.0 grams per deciliter were classified as anemic. One hundred eighty patients (45.6 percent) were considered anemic on admission. Patients who were anemic were more likely to have an American Society of Anesthesiologists rating of III or IV and have sustained an intertrochanteric fracture. Hospital length of stay and mortality rate at six and twelve months were significantly higher for patients who were anemic on admission. There were no differences in the incidence of postoperative complications, hospital discharge status, place of residence at one year, in-hospital mortality rate, and three-month mortality rate between patients who were and were not anemic on admission. In addition, there were no differences in the recovery of ambulatory ability and of basic and instrumental activities of daily living status at three, six, and twelve months between the two patient groups.
Conclusions: Patients at risk for poor outcomes after hip fracture can be identified by assessing hemoglobin levels at hospital admission.