The Management of Hip Fracture in Adults [Internet]

Excerpt

Although hip fracture is predominantly a phenomenon of later life, it may occur at any age in people with osteoporosis or osteopenia, and this guidance is applicable to adults across the age spectrum. Skills in its management have, however been accrued, researched and reported especially by collaborative teams specialising in the care of older people (using the general designation ‘orthogeriatrics’). These skills are applicable in hip fracture irrespective of age, and the guidance includes recommendations that cover the needs of younger patients by drawing on such skills in an organised manner.

This guidance covers the management of hip fracture from the point of admission to secondary care through to final return to the community and discharge from specific follow-up. It assumes that anyone clinically suspected of having a hip fracture will be referred for immediate hospital assessment other than in exceptional circumstances. It excludes (other than by cross-reference) aspects covered by parallel NICE guidance, most notably primary and secondary prevention of fragility fractures, but recognises the importance of effective linkage to these closely related elements of comprehensive care.