Meyer AC, Eklund H, Hedström M, et al. - Researchers herein examined how the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification score at hip fracture surgery associates with severe postoperative complications in patients aged 60 and older.

• Aging populations commonly experience hip fractures, which are associated with poor prognosis.

• A total of 170,193 patients aged 60+ with first hip fracture between 1998 and 2017 were included by linking the Swedish National Inpatient Register with the Swedish National Registry for Hip Fractures (RIKSHÖFT).

• Of these patients, 24% died and 39% were readmitted to hospital within 1 year.

• Urinary tract infections, pneumonia, second hip fractures, and heart failure were the most common complications.

• Findings revealed consistent association of higher ASA scores with higher risks of a wide range of complications including infections, cardiovascular complications, hospital readmissions, and death among both men and women.