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Quick Hip Fracture Surgery Cuts Patient Pain |
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TUESDAY, April 13 (HealthDayNews) -- People who suffer hip fractures should undergo surgery within 24 hours of admission to the hospital, new research says.
This early surgery reduces patient pain, shortens hospital stays, and may reduce the risk of major complications such as pneumonia and arrhythmias, according to a study in the April 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study included about 1,200 people who had hip fracture surgery in New York City hospitals. Early surgery for hip fracture had no impact on survival or functional ability by six months after patients were discharged from the hospital.
But patients who had early surgery had an average of about six to seven fewer hours of severe pain during their first five days of hospitalization than patients who had later surgery. And hospital stays for early surgery patients were, on average, nearly two days less than for later surgery patients.
The study was supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
More information
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers tips on how to prevent hip fractures.
(SOURCE: April 14, 2004, Journal of the American Medical Association)
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