| Clinical significance of hemoglobin decrease in emergency department elderly hip fracture patients |
Hyemin Park1
, Hui Jai Lee1,2
, Soong Joon Lee3,4
, Jongwhan Shin1,2
, Kyoung Min You1,2
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1Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Seoul Metropolitan Government Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
2Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
3Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Seoul Metropolitan Government Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
4Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
| Correspondence |
Hui Jai Lee ,Tel: 02-870-2664, Fax: 02-870-2662, Email: emdrlee@gmail.com,
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Received: July 2, 2022; Revised: October 19, 2022 Accepted: October 23, 2022. Published online: June 30, 2023. |
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| ABSTRACT |
Objective:
Decreases in the hemoglobin level compared to the pre-injury lab results are often observed in patients with elderly hip fractures visiting the emergency department (ED). This decrease could be the outcome of the fracture itself or a complication caused by comorbidities. This study examined whether significant hemoglobin decreases, as detected in the ED, are related to other-than-hip-fracture bleeding focus or clinical outcomes.
Method:
The electronic medical records were reviewed retrospectively at a single university ED from January 2012 to March 2019. ED diagnoses of hip fractures were screened and enrolled if the patient was 60 years or older and had hemoglobin levels recorded within the previous 6 months. A significant decrease in the hemoglobin level is defined as more than 2 g/dL.
Results:
Three hundred patients were enrolled in this study. Significant hemoglobin decreases were apparent in 43 patients (14.3%). Only four patients (1.3%) had an other-than-hip-fracture bleeding focus. One of those had a significant hemoglobin decrease. In a “significant decrease” versus “non-significant decrease” intergroup comparison, length of hospital stays (median and interquartile range: 17.0 [15.0-21.5] vs. 17.0 [12.0-21.0], P=0.55), survival discharge (4.7% vs. 2.3%, P=0.72), and other-than-hip-fracture bleeding focus (2.3% vs. 1.2%, P>0.99) did not differ significantly.
Conclusion:
A decrease in hemoglobin level is common among elderly hip fracture patients. On the other hand, the incidence of other-than-hip-fracture bleeding focus was rare and unrelated to a decrease in significant hemoglobin levels. Similarly, neither the hospital length of stay nor survival discharge was unrelated to the hemoglobin level decrease. |
| Key words:
Hip fractures; Hemoglobins; Anemia; Hemorrhage; Aged; Hospital emergency service |
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