Mortality Predictors in Covid-19 Positive Patients with Fractures: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with mortality in fracture patients with concomitant COVID-19 infection based on the available published data.

Methods: Keywords such as "fracture" and "COVID or COVID-19" were searched through three major databases includes PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Selection criteria were all published reports providing the mortality related information of COVID-19 positive fracture patients. Published papers containing mortality data of COVID-19 positive fracture patients were considered for qualitative review. For meta-analysis, the presenting individual's data were considered to study the different parameters association with mortality.

Results: The rate of mean mortality in COVID-19 positive fracture patients was 34%, and 91.7% of patients had hip fractures. Older age and hip fractures had a significant association with higher mortality rates in COVID-19 positive fracture patients.

Conclusion: The mortality rates are considerably higher in COVID-19 positive patients with fractures compared to COVID-19 positive patients without fractures and to the COVID-19 negative fracture patients. Early surgical intervention should be preferred in hip fractures among COVID-19 positive patients for general stabilization and improved respiratory function. Older age and hip fractures are the main predictors of mortality in these patients.