Understanding Hip Fracture Risk
Hip fracture care often needs fast decisions. A mortality estimate can support that work. It should never replace clinical judgment. This page uses the Nottingham Hip Fracture Score approach. The score combines admission details that are commonly available before surgery. It is built for fractured hip repair populations, not healthy screening.
Why the Score Matters
Older adults with hip fractures may have frailty, blood loss, delirium, cancer, or multiple illnesses. These factors change perioperative risk. A structured score helps teams discuss risk in a consistent way. It also gives families a clearer starting point. The number is only an estimate. Local outcomes, surgical timing, anaesthetic review, and rehabilitation resources still matter.
Inputs Used
The calculator asks for age, sex, admission hemoglobin, cognition score, comorbidity count, previous residence, and malignancy history. Age has the largest point weight. Male sex adds risk in this model. Low hemoglobin adds one point. Poor cognitive score adds one point. Two or more major comorbidities add one point. Institutional residence and malignancy also add points.
Interpreting Results
The output shows the total score and an estimated thirty day mortality percentage. It also shows estimated survival. A higher score means higher predicted risk. A low score does not mean no risk. A high score does not mean poor care is futile. It means the patient may need more careful planning.
Clinical Use
Use the result during admission review, orthogeriatric assessment, anaesthetic planning, and shared discussions. Record assumptions clearly. Check that hemoglobin units are correct. Confirm whether cognitive testing was reliable. Count only significant comorbid conditions. If a value is unknown, update the result when better data arrives.
Limitations
Prediction models can drift over time. They may perform differently across hospitals and countries. Individual patients can do better or worse than estimated. This calculator is for education and workflow support. Urgent clinical decisions require qualified medical review, direct examination, and local protocols. Always treat reversible problems and reassess risk after stabilization.
Use the printable export for handover notes. Use the CSV file for audits. Keep patient identifiers out of downloads unless your local privacy policy allows them. Recalculate after transfusion, diagnosis changes, or new delirium assessment. Compare results with senior clinical judgment before surgery.