Hip Fracture News and Research

RSS

Patient-safety incidents: 10% died

Nearly one million patient-safety incidents occurred among Medicare patients over the years 2006, 2007, 2008, a figure virtually unchanged since last year's annual study of patient safety by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. In all, the incidents were associated with $8.9 billion in costs. One in ten patients -- 99,180 individuals -- experiencing a patient-safety incident died as a result, the study found.

1 Apr 2010

$UCSF study: Unusual femur fractures low in patients with osteoporosis$

UCSF study: Unusual femur fractures low in patients with osteoporosis

The occurrence of an unusual type of fracture of the femur, or the thigh bone, is very low in patients with osteoporosis, including those treated with the drug family known as bisphosphonates, according to a new study led by a team of UCSF epidemiologists.

26 Mar 2010

$Osteoporosis drugs falsely implicated in rare thigh bone fractures, say new reports$

Osteoporosis drugs falsely implicated in rare thigh bone fractures, say new reports

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones usually affecting elderly women and causes the bones to become brittle and easily breakable. Since last two years some alarming reports of women on drugs for therapy of this disease have come to notice. These reports show that these drugs intended for therapy may result in rare and serious fractures of their thigh bones where the bones break clean or may splinter. Often these fractures were not associated with any fall or impact. Moreover some of the sufferers are middle aged women in their 50’s who do not have full blown osteoporosis, a condition known as pre-osteoporosis or osteopenia.

25 Mar 2010

$Radiographs often inconclusive in detecting hip and pelvic fractures in emergency department$

Radiographs often inconclusive in detecting hip and pelvic fractures in emergency department

Radiographs are often inconclusive in the detection of hip and pelvic fractures in the emergency department, according to a study in the April issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (www.ajronline.org).

23 Mar 2010

New specialty service at Montefiore Medical Center helps patients with drug allergies

A Westchester patient takes aspirin for pain, but develops rashes and hives. A Bronx patient with a gastrointestinal problem caused by bacteria is prescribed penicillin, then passes out. A Bronx woman is given a contrast dye for an internal diagnostic exam, then her skin peels off.

18 Mar 2010

TKR relieves pain and improves balance in elderly patients with advanced knee arthritis

Total knee replacement successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a study presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The surgery also significantly improves dynamic balance among elderly patients.

12 Mar 2010

Bilateral oophorectomy may do more harm than good

Removal of the ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy) while performing a hysterectomy is common practice to prevent the subsequent development of ovarian cancer. This prophylactic procedure is performed in 55% of all U.S. women having a hysterectomy, or approximately 300,000 times each year. An article in the March/April issue of The Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology suggests that this procedure may do more harm than good.

10 Mar 2010

University of Michigan Health System evaluates factors that can reduce hospital deaths

Admission to a hospital when most of the beds are already full can be deadly for patients, according to a new University of Michigan Health System study showing high occupancy increases the risk of dying in the hospital by 5.6 percent.

9 Mar 2010

Research Roundup: Childhood obesity, insurance coverage in cancer trials, hospitals stays and need for nursing homes

Health Affairs this month is devoted to the topic of childhood obesity, with the first study of the group - National, State, And Local Disparities In Childhood Obesity - pointing out that "new data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health show that the percentage of children ages 10-17 who are overweight ... remained stable, while the national prevalence of obesity (BMI in the ninety-fifth percentile and higher) grew significantly, from 14.8 percent in 2003 to 16.4 percent in 2007.

6 Mar 2010

Forteo to remain Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold standard for treatment of osteoporosis

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that a drug's effect on reduction of new hip fractures is the attribute that most influences U.S. and European surveyed primary care physicians' (PCPs') prescribing decisions in osteoporosis.

5 Mar 2010

Study: Ongoing debate on how to pay for health care

Whether an individual is treated for a hip fracture at a hospital reimbursed by Medicare or is treated at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center makes a significant difference in what happens to the patient after release from the medical facility, according to a large study which may contribute to the ongoing debate on how to pay for health care.

26 Feb 2010

HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 identified

The HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 were identified in a report issued today by the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The analysis, which examined objective patient outcomes over three years at all 5,000 of the nation’s nonfederal hospitals, found that the 50 Best Hospitals had mortality rates that were, on average, 27% lower than other hospitals.

25 Feb 2010

Postmenopausal women undergoing combination hormone therapy at increased risk of heart disease: WHI confirms

New analyses from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) confirm that combination hormone therapy increases the risk of heart disease in healthy postmenopausal women. Researchers report a trend toward an increased risk of heart disease during the first two years of hormone therapy among women who began therapy within 10 years of menopause, and a more marked elevation of risk among women who began hormone therapy more than 10 years after menopause. Analyses indicate that overall a woman's risk of heart disease more than doubles within the first two years of taking combination HT.

17 Feb 2010

Toronto Rehab scientists develop SoleSensor to help older people stay on their feet

In an aging society, falling is a growing problem. Just one bad fall can mark the start of a downward spiral in an older person's health and quality of life. The cost of treating falls also puts a heavy burden on the health care system. Toronto Rehab scientists have developed a simple footwear insole called SoleSensor(TM), which has proven to improve balance and prevent falls.

10 Feb 2010

Elevator-related injuries are preventable

In the first large-scale epidemiological study of elevator-related injuries in older adults in the United States, researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine and an Ohio State University colleague report in the January 2010 issue of The Journal of Trauma Injury, Infection, and Critical Care on the frequency, nature and opportunities for prevention of these injuries.

10 Feb 2010

EuroHOPE study: Performance evaluation of the European healthcare system

The performance of the European healthcare system will be evaluated in the EuroHOPE study (European Health Care Outcomes, Performance and Effectiveness) coordinated by the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and funded by the EU.

6 Feb 2010

$Study shows hip fractures in elderly men are linked to impaired bone health in their grandsons$

Study shows hip fractures in elderly men are linked to impaired bone health in their grandsons

If your grandfather has had a hip fracture, you too could be at risk. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have been able to show, for the first time, a link between hip fractures in elderly men and impaired bone health in their grandsons.

30 Jan 2010

Limiting depth of sedation reduces risk of postoperative delirium in elderly patients

A common complication following surgery in elderly patients is postoperative delirium, a state of confusion that can lead to long-term health problems and cause some elderly patients to complain that they "never felt the same" again after an operation. But a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that simply limiting the depth of sedation during procedures could safely cut the risk of postoperative delirium by 50 percent.

23 Jan 2010

Light sedation decreases postoperative delirium in elderly patients by 50%

A recent study, published in the January issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, demonstrates that in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture repair under spinal anesthesia with propofol sedation, the prevalence of delirium can be decreased by 50 percent with light sedation, compared to deep sedation.

20 Jan 2010

Lighter sedation during spinal anesthesia reduces postoperative delirium in elderly patients

19 Jan 2010