Preoperative Echocardiography in Patients With Hip Fracture

Aim of the study was to assess whether preoperative echocardiography affects time to surgery, length of hospital stay and in hospital mortality in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. In the study entered two hundred fifty -five consecutive patients with hip fracture referred to a multidisciplinary hip fracture unit at a tertiary teaching hospital. Other 717 patients referred before implementation of routine echocardiographic examination were considered as control group. Echocardiography was performed in patients with systolic murmurs, unstable clinical conditions, recent decompensation of heart failure or hospital admission for coronary disease. Time to surgery, length of hospital stay (LOS) and in hospital mortality in patients underwent preoperative echocardiography (high risk group) were compared with patients who did not undergo echo (low-risk group ) and with an historical group.