Analysis of intensive care unit admissions for older adults with femoral fractures: a retrospective cohort.
Carolina Rodrigues Mendes Nogueira Cobra, Paulo Carlos Garcia, Isadora Castilho Moreira de Oliveira Passos and 2 others
PMID 39101809WHAT IT FOUND
Of 295 older adults with femoral fractures admitted to an ICU, 18.3% died.
All 11 patients who received non-surgical treatment died. Nursing workload was highest in the first 24 hours of admission, exceeding the average for the entire stay.
Key findings
0118.3% of the 295 older adults admitted to the ICU with femoral fractures died during their stay.
02All 11 patients who received non-surgical treatment died, a mortality rate of 100% in this subgroup.
03Nursing workload scores were higher upon ICU admission than during the average length of stay in the unit.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is retrospective, relying entirely on the quality and completeness of existing medical records. It was conducted in a single university hospital, limiting generalizability to other settings. The significant increase in admissions from 2017 may be influenced by the hospital becoming a reference center for orthopedic post-operative care, potentially altering the case mix over time.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that non-surgical treatment causes death. The paper states these patients were not clinically fit for surgery, meaning their high mortality likely reflects their underlying severity and frailty rather than the treatment choice itself.