Correlation between common postoperative complications of prolonged bed rest and quality of life in hospitalized elderly hip fracture patients

Background: Reduced postoperative mobility predisposes older patients with hip fractures to a variety of complications, including acute cerebral infarction, pressure injury, deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs, and lung and urinary tract infections caused by prolonged bed rest. This study was designed to explore the relationship between common postoperative complications of prolonged bed rest and quality of life in hospitalized elderly hip fracture patients, in an attempt to inform the development of relevant interventions. Methods: A total of 502 patients aged 65 years or above who underwent hip fracture surgery in our center were enrolled in this study. The patients' basic information and details of complications during their hospitalization was obtained from the case report form. The patients received telephone follow-up after discharge, and their quality of life (QoL) was measured by using the European Quality of Life Five Dimension Five Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L). Results: During hospitalization, 98 patients (19.52%) experienced at least 1 common complication including acute cerebral infarction (n=15, 2.99%), pressure injury (n=25, 4.98%), deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs (n=14, 2.79%), pulmonary infections (n=84, 16.73%), and urinary tract infections (n=30, 5.98%). The proportion of patients who reported problems including mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression was higher in those who experienced complications. Conclusions: Active prevention of common complications caused by prolonged bed rest can improve the QoL and reduce the disease burden for elderly patients with hip fractures.