Age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index predicts postoperative mortality in elderly patients with hip fracture: A prospective cohort

Abstract

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BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the clinical association between the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (aCCI) and postoperative mortality in elderly patients.Materials and methodsElderly patients with hip fractures were screened from January 2015 to September 2019. After demographic and clinical characteristics were collected, linear and non-linear multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify the association between the aCCI and mortality. All analyses were performed using EmpowerStats and R software.ResultsA total of 2,657 patients were included in the study, and the mean follow-up duration was of 38.97 months. The mean aCCI score was 4.24 ± 1.09, and 977 (34.14%) died of all-cause mortality. The fully-adjusted linear multivariate Cox regression models showed the aCCI to be associated with mortality [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.21–1.41, P < 0.0001]. Patients in Q2 showed greater mortality (HR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.23–2.09; P = 0.0005) than those in Q1; patients in Q3 showed greater mortality (HR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.66–2.87; P < 0.001) than those in Q1. In addition, the P-value for the trend also showed a linear association in the three models (P < 0.0001). In the sensitivity analysis, propensity score matching was used, and the results were stable.ConclusionThe mortality risk of hip fractures increased by 31% when the aCCI increased by one unit. aCCI score was shown to be a good predictor of three-year mortality following hip fracture.Clinical trial registrationhttp://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=152919, identifier ChiCTR2200057323.

Keywords

• age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index
• mortality
• elderly
• hip fracture
• Cox regression