Proximal femur fractures in patients taking anti-coagulants: has anything changed?

Abstract

With an ever-ageing population, the incidence of hip fractures is increasing worldwide. Increasing age is not just associated with increasing fractures but also increasing comorbidities and polypharmacy. Consequently, a large proportion of patients requiring hip fracture surgery (HFS) are also prescribed antiplatelet and anti-coagulant medication. There remains a clinical conundrum with regards to how such medications should affect surgery, namely with regards to anaesthetic options, timing of surgery, stopping and starting the medication as well as the need for reversal agents. Herein, we present the up-to-date evidence on HFS management in patients taking blood-thinning agents and provide a summary of recommendations based on the existing literature.