Overview

Prospective cohort study on patients with intertrochanteric fractures under direct oral anticoagulation (DOAC) therapy undergoing early surgical fixation (within 24 hours). The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the reduction of the peri operative blood loss. The secondary aim is to assess the influence of early surgical fixation of intertrochanteric fractures in patients with DOAC therapy on the 30-day and 1-year mortality. Moreover, the prospective cohort group of patients will be compared with a retrospectively analyzed age-, gender- and fracture-type-matched control group of patients who underwent delayed surgical fixation from January 2014 to December 2018 (≥ 48 hours).

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

Prospective cohort study:

        Patients with intertrochanteric fractures that need a surgical fixation and under treatment
        with a DOAC medication
        Control group:
        Patients with intertrochanteric fractures under DOAC medication with a delayed surgical
        fixation from January 2014 to December 2018 (≥ 48 hours after the trauma)
        Exclusion Criteria:
        Prospective cohort group:
          -  patients with multiple fractures
          -  acute heart failure, kidney and lung failure and
          -  other concomitant diseases which prevent prompt fixation
        Retrospective cohort group:
        Patients with delayed surgical fixation due to other causes than DOAC medication (e.g.
        multimorbidity, acute myocardial infarction, acute heart, lung or kidney failure)