Delayed hospitalization increases mortality in displaced femoral neck fracture patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Reports regarding the relationship between delayed surgery and mortality in femoral neck fracture patients are contradictory. We could not find any study in the literature investigating delayed arrival to hospital and delayed surgery as separate factors affecting mortality in femoral neck fracture patients, which was the purpose of our study. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed 265 consecutive patients with displaced femoral neck fractures. We recorded the time period from trauma to admission, and to surgery, and correlated it to mortality during the first postoperative year. RESULTS We found that arrival within 6 hours had 0.4 times (CI 0.2-0.8) reduction of the risk of death within 1 year compared to those who arrived later, whereas delayed surgery after admission did not have a statistically significant effect on mortality. INTERPRETATION Femoral neck fracture patients who arrived at hospital 6 hours or later after the trauma had increased mortality.