Frailty predicts mortality and complications in chronologically young patients with traumatic orthopaedic injuries.

Background: As morbidity and mortality from traumatic orthopaedic injuries continues to rise, increased research is being conducted on how to best predict complications in at risk patients. Recently, frailty indices have been validated in a variety of surgical subspecialties as predictors of morbidity and mortality. However, the vast majority of research has been conducted on geriatric patient populations, with little evidence on patients who are chronologically young.

The frail fail: Increased mortality and post-operative complications in orthopaedic trauma patients.

Objective: The burgeoning elderly population calls for a robust tool to identify patients with increased risk of mortality and morbidity. This paper investigates the utility of the MFI as a predictor of morbidity and mortality in orthopaedic trauma patients.

Design: Retrospective review of the NSQIP database to identify patients age 60 and above who underwent surgery for pelvis and lower extremity fractures between 2005 and 2014.

Modified Frailty Index Is an Effective Risk Assessment Tool in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Background: Frailty is described as decreased physiological reserve and typically increasing with age. Hospitals are being penalized for reoperations and readmissions, which can affect reimbursement. The purpose of this study was to determine if the modified frailty index (MFI) could be used as a risk assessment tool for preoperative counseling and to make an objective decision on whether to perform total hip arthroplasty (THA) on a frail patient.

Modified Frailty Index Is an Effective Risk Assessment Tool in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Background: "Frailty" is a marker of physiological decline of multiple organ systems, and the frailty index identifies patients who are more susceptible to postoperative complications. The purpose of this study is to validate the modified frailty index (MFI) as a predictor of postoperative complications, reoperations, and readmissions in patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2005 to 2014 was queried by the Current Procedural Terminology code for primary TKA (27447).

Polymicrobial ventriculitis involving Pseudomonas fulva.

Infections due to Pseudomonas fulva remain a rare but emerging concern. A case of ventriculitis due to Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas fulva following placement of an external ventricular drain is described. Similar to other reports, the organism was initially misidentified as Pseudomonas putida.