Epidemiology and postoperative complications of hip fracture during COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives

This study aims to analyze the changes in epidemiology and the postoperative outcomes in patients with hip fractures during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to non-pandemic period.

Methods

According to the date of declaration of “mandatory social distance”, we separated patients into 2 groups over a 1-year period: Period A and period B. We assessed the overall time to surgery, delay in surgery (> 24 hours, > 36 hours, and > 48 hours), reason of delay, length of hospital stay, type of surgery, and postoperative complications.

Results

The number of operated hip fractures and other trauma decreased in period B compared with period A by 17%, and 23%, respectively. The number of patients with delay in surgery by > 24 hours and > 36 hours was significantly higher in period B compared to that in period A (P = 0.035, P = 0.012, respectively). However, no significant difference in the number of delay in surgery > 48 hours and mean overall time to surgery between the 2 groups was observed (P = 0.856, P = 0.399, respectively). There was no difference in the duration of hospital stay, type of surgery, and postoperative complications between periods A and B.

Conclusions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the decrease in hip fractures was relatively fewer compared to the decrease in orthopedic trauma. Although hip fracture surgeries were delayed for over 24 hours and 36 hours, there was no increase in delay for over 48 hours and postoperative complications.