Medication Review After a Fracture

Approximately 1 of every 2 women and 1 of every 4 men aged 50 years or older will experience a fracture in their remaining lifetime. In fact, in the United States, the annual number of osteoporotic fractures that occur exceeds the incidence of heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer combined. Morbidity and mortality is considerable following major osteoporotic fractures, particularly in individuals with hip fracture: 44% of individuals with a hip fracture are readmitted to the hospital, and 21% will die in the first year following the fracture. This readmission rate is nearly 2-fold greater than the readmission rate following elective joint replacement, and 1 year mortality is 2- to 4-fold greater than mortality observed in community dwellers of the same age and sex without fracture. Among survivors of a hip and other fracture, pain, depression, infections, functional decline, and subsequent fractures are all common complications leading to high rates of institutionalization.
Source: JAMA Internal Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Source Type: research