Objectives:

To describe the profile of the patient admitted to an orthogeriatric unit and to assess the prevalence of the different geriatric syndromes that appear during hospital stay.

Methodology:

A retrospective observational study was conducted during 2022 in a tertiary level hospital. All patients equal to or older than 65 years, admitted with a diagnosis of proximal femur fracture and assessed by an advanced practice nurse were included. Those who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. Sociodemographic variables, type of fracture and treatment, length of stay, mortality, prior residence and discharge destination, surgical delay, functional, cognitive, nutritional, and frailty outcomes were collected. Pre-existing or newly developed geriatric syndromes during hospitalization were also analyzed.

Results:

A total of 208 patients were assessed with an average age of 84.7 years. Of these, 75.5% were women. The average hospital length of stay was 8.2 days, and in-hospital mortality was 3.4%. Half of the patients had mild dependence and did not exhibit cognitive impairment prior to the fracture. The most prevalent geriatric syndrome was polypharmacy in 82.6% of cases, followed by intestinal constipation in 78%. There was a clear relationship between the appearance of different geriatric syndromes and previous cognitive impairment, functional dependence, and frailty.

Conclusions:

A high percentage of patients admitted to our unit are frail, directly linked to the occurrence of various geriatric syndromes during hospitalization. The assessment of the advanced practice nurse allows early detection to avoid complications during the hospital stay.

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