Most guidelines say a broken hip should be repaired within the first 24 hours. But researchers from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences found two-thirds of patients didn’t get their hip fractures repaired within the recommended 24-hour window. The average wait time for surgery was just under 39 hours. ICES finds several reasons why doctors and hospitals aren't fixing broken hips as fast as recommended, but lack of hospital beds was not a factor. It highlights that people who break their hips tend to be older and can have additional medical problems that can worsen with surgery and anesthesia. Such patients are seen by an internist and by an anesthesiologist who make recommendations regarding their perioperative care. The study shows that it took close to seven hours for an internist and close to six hours for an anesthesiologist to see the patient. ICES suggests more operating room resources are needed and physician/hospital cultural practices need to change to avoid unnecessary preoperative tests.
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