Published online Jun 18, 2021. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v12.i6.386
Peer-review started: February 22, 2021
First decision: May 3, 2021
Revised: May 15, 2021
Accepted: May 25, 2021
Article in press: May 25, 2021
Published online: June 18, 2021
Processing time: 109 Days and 13.3 Hours
Hip fractures are the most common reason for inpatient orthopaedic trauma admission. Urgent surgical intervention for hip fractures has remained a clinical priority throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite this, there is a paucity of clinical guidance addressing the informed consent process for hip fracture surgery in COVID-19 positive patients. This is of paramount medicolegal importance in a high-risk patient population.
To quantify the additional perioperative risks for COVID-19 positive patients undergoing hip fracture surgery and provide clinicians with an evidence-based framework to establish an informed consent process.
Two hundred and fifty nine consecutive patients undergoing surgical intervention for hip fractures in four hospitals in the United Kingdom were recruited. 51 patients were confirmed positive for COVID-19. Predefined outcomes were analyzed over a 30-d postoperative period. COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative patients were compared after adjustment for confounding factors.
COVID-19 positive patients had more intensive care admissions (27% vs 5%, P < 0.001), longer inpatient stays (median 23 d vs 9 d, P < 0.001) and a higher 30-d mortality (29% vs 10%, P = 0.001) than COVID-19 negative patients. Postoperative complications were evident in 74.5% of COVID-19 positive patients. 35.3% of COVID-19 positive patients suffered postoperative lower respiratory tract infections with 13.7% developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and 9.8% experiencing symptomatic thromboembolic events.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty in the medical community worldwide and poses unique challenges in providing informed consent for surgery. COVID-19 positive patients undergoing hip fracture surgery should be consented for the additional risk of postoperative complications (including lower respiratory tract infection, ARDS, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embo
Core Tip: Coronavirus disease 2019 positive patients undergoing hip fracture surgery should be consented for the increased risk of postoperative complications (including lower respiratory tract infection, acute respiratory distress syndrome, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), increased requirement for intensive care admission, longer inpatient stay and a higher risk of mortality. It is medicolegally imperative that these risks are addressed as part of an informed consent process.