Biochemical lung, liver and kidney markers and early death among elderly following hip fracture.

Introduction: In the elderly, hip fracture is a common injury associated with high early mortality dominated by cardiorespiratory and thromboembolic events. Identification of risk factors that can be modified by treatment has caught attention over the last years. This study was conducted to assess biological markers on perioperative organ dysfunction and its association with early mortality within 3 months after surgery.

Method: Blood samples were collected before, during and until 4 days after surgery. Analyses on PaO(2), alanine aminotransaminase (ALAT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (g-GT) and creatinine were performed and used as markers on lung, liver and kidney functions.

Patients: Three hundred and two patients over 75 years of age with acute dislocated hip fracture were consecutively enrolled from two hospitals in Norway.

Results: We found a positive correlation between the plasma levels of ALAT, creatinine and death, and an inverse relationship between PaO(2) and death. After controlling for confounding factors such as sex, age and comorbidity, ALAT and creatinine levels were shown to be significantly and independently related to risk for fatal outcome.

Conclusion: Our results provide data on clinically important biomarkers in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery. We suggest a stronger emphasis on monitoring and correcting these biomarkers when possible.