LAUSR

BACKGROUND/AIMS Proximal femoral fractures are one of the most frequently occurring injuries among elderly people. High rates of inpatient treatment indicate the importance of optimized clinical care. OBJECTIVES Based on selected outcome parameters in elderly trauma patients with proximal femoral fractures, the current situation of medical care in a trauma center for geriatric patients is presented. METHODS For a descriptive evaluation of outcome parameters, 250 patients aged 70 years and older have been included. A clinical register of a trauma center for the elderly served as the database. RESULTS The average length of stay was approximately 25 days. Sixty-seven percent of the patients underwent surgical treatment within 24 h of admission to the hospital. More than half of the patients were taking anticoagulant drugs. Around 18 % of patients presented with one or more complications. Mortality rate was 5.2 %. Thirty-two percent of those patients who had been living at home before admission had been discharged to a nursing home. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Analyzing the data of a trauma registry enables critical reflection upon the clinical outcome of interdisciplinary treatment procedures. The low rate of mortality may be a result of the geriatric co-treatment, starting right from admission. It remains unclear whether the influence of preoperative interdisciplinary treatment outweighs the effect of a timely surgical procedure.