Why are fractures so serious in older adults?

2022-08-03

Usually, everyone's understanding of fractures is pain, inability to move freely, and the need to cast a plaster for protection. But for older people, a fracture from a fall, especially the femoral neck and femur, can mean death.

From childhood to adulthood, almost everyone has the experience of falling, maybe it is just a little embarrassing for us, but few people realize that this may be a close call.

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The elderly are most afraid of falling

According to survey statistics, falls have become the leading cause of injury and death among Chinese people aged 65 and over. The older the age, the higher the risk of death.

What is even more frightening is that for the elderly in China, the probability of falling is very high, reaching 20.7%, which means that nearly 40 million elderly people have a fall accident every year, and an elderly person falls to the ground on average every second.

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Why does a fracture caused by a fall lead to the death of the elderly?

The elderly die after a fracture, not because of the fracture itself. But after the fracture, he died due to various other reasons. And this fatal fracture has become the "last fracture" in the life of the elderly!

According to statistics, after femoral and tibia fractures in the elderly, the mortality rate can be as high as 50%. Even in areas with developed medical resources, the one-year mortality rate of elderly people who choose conservative treatment for hip fractures is as high as 31.3%.

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Why does a fracture caused by a fall have such serious consequences for the elderly?

First of all, the femur is actually the thigh bone that supports the human body. It is the thickest bone in the whole body. With the support of the femur, the human body can stand and move.

And at the proximal end of the femur, that is, the hip, this part is very powerful when a person is young, even a hard butt squat is not enough to cause damage to it!

As we age, the body's internal bone is also continuously lost, strong muscles gradually atrophy, and osteoporosis begins. The older you get, the weaker your bones become, and an accidental fall can cause a fracture.

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Fractured, can't you just connect it?

For young people, the fracture is indeed connected, but for the elderly with a fracture of the proximal femur, it is not so simple.

If the elderly want to undergo fracture surgery, they first need to meet the surgical conditions, which include physical condition, age, and whether there is a history of disease. There is also bleeding in the hands, whether the blood loss can be tolerated, whether it can withstand the use of postoperative anticoagulant drugs, etc. These are all necessary conditions.

For the elderly in my country, most of them are troubled by different degrees and types of chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis, three highs, and cardiovascular diseases.

If the conditions are right, surgery is of course a good choice, but in reality, many elderly people cannot meet surgical adjustment.

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Conservative treatment, is it feasible?

Conservative treatment is of course possible and feels relatively safe, but there are also certain long-term risks, especially the following two health risks, which may bring greater physical and mental torture to the elderly, and eventually leave in pain.

1. Pulmonary infection

The risk of lung infection persists as long as the elderly are bedridden.

Because most of the elderly who are bedridden for a long time have difficulty in expelling secretions from the lungs, these secretions cannot be eliminated smoothly, and they accumulate in the small and medium trachea for a long time, which will become a breeding ground for bacterial reproduction.

The continuous growth of these bacteria will further develop into hypostatic pneumonia, which is fatal to bedridden elderly people.

2. Improper nursing

Elderly people who are bedridden and care a little carelessly and in time may develop bedsores. At the same time, the elderly who are bedridden for a long time are also prone to lower extremity venous thrombosis, and even pulmonary embolism from venous thrombosis shedding, which is also fatal.

Every elderly person has the possibility of falling, and everyone will have the day of old age.

If there are elderly people at home, it is recommended to supplement calcium in time, regularly check bone density, exercise reasonably, and reduce the hidden danger of falling.

If the elderly suffers a hip fracture due to a fall, please fully communicate with the doctor, choose surgery as much as possible, and avoid staying in bed for a long time.

If the elderly cannot choose surgery, they need to actively cooperate with medical staff to provide meticulous care to prevent complications. …