Abstract
PURPOSE: Proximal femur fractures in geriatric patients are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study investigates Brain Natriuretic Peptide immunoassay levels taken at the time of hospital admission in predicting cardiac complications and mortality in geriatric patients with a proximal femur fracture. METHODS: A single-site prospective cohort study at a large tertiary care, level 1 trauma centre was conducted on all consecutive geriatric patients aged greater than 60 years who sustained a proximal femur fracture. Investigators collected Brain Natriuretic Peptide levels from venous blood samples on admission to the Emergency Department. The main outcome measurements were inpatient cardiovascular complications, and all-cause mortality at 30-day, 90-day, one-year, and nine-years. RESULTS: Over a one-year period, 112 patients were enrolled. The average age was 82.7 years, and the average follow up was 6 years and 6 months (range, 2 days to 9 years). No patients were lost to follow up. There were 44 new or exacerbations of pre-existing cardiac complications requiring management recorded in 30 (26.8%) patients. Mortality at 30 days was 9.8%, 90 days was 16.1%, and one year was 24.1%, with deceased patients having a statistically significant elevated Brain Natriuretic Peptide immunoassay on hospital admission. The Kaplan-Meier graph demonstrated a trend towards increasing Brain Natriuretic Peptide and adverse survivorship risk. The Charlson Comorbidity Index was statistically significant in predicting overall survival probability. CONCLUSION: Brain Natriuretic Peptide immunoassay on hospital admission may be utilised to identify patients at risk of cardiac complications and mortality to guide further investigations, operative planning, the consent process, and post-operative monitoring.