• I O'Connor, D McDowell, and D Barnes.
• St Ann's Bay Regional Hospital, St Ann, North East Regional Health Authority, Jamaica.
• W Indian Med J. 2014 Mar 1; 63 (2): 138-41.

ObjectivesTo study the outcome of hip fractures in a cohort of patients from two different time periods (2002-2003 and 2006-2008).MethodsPatients treated for hip fractures at the St Ann's Bay Regional Hospital (SABRH), which provides orthopaedic care for the parishes of St Ann, St Mary and Portland, were retrospectively analysed between 2002-2003 and 2006-2008.ResultsA significant increase in the recorded incidence of hip fractures, from 19 in the 2002-2003 time period to 101 in the 2006-2008 time period was noted. There was a drastic fall in the in-hospital mortality rate (43% in the 2002-2003 time period compared to 4.5% in the 2006-2008 time period). In the 2006-2008 period, 82.9% of patients were ambulant at discharge compared to 36% from the 2002-2003 time period.ConclusionEarly surgical fixation is necessary to allow rapid mobilization in these patients for whom the consequences of bed rest would otherwise be devastating.

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