Pneumatic wound compression after hip fracture surgery did not reduce postoperative blood transfusion

Figures & data

The compression bandage.

The compression bandage.

Table 1. Baseline characteristics

	Compression (n = 138)	No Compression (n = 154)
Age	83 (9)	82 (8)
Women, n (%)	100 (72)	113 (73)
Type of fracture, n (%)
Cervical	55 (40)	68 (44)
Pertrochanteric	63 (46)	75 (49)
Subtrochanteric	20 (14)	11 (7)
Type of surgery, n (%)
Hemiarthroplasty	45 (33) ^a	60 (39)
Sliding plate	42 (30)	50 (32)
Intramedullary nail	51 (37)	44 (29)
Preoperative medication, n (%)
Acetylsalicylic acid	65 (47)	64 (42)
NSAID	8 (5.8)	6 (3.9)
Warfarin	11 (8.0)	13 (8.4)
Time from admission to surgery (h) ^b	21 (11)	21 (12)
Hemoglobin (g/L) at baseline	124 (15)	126 (15)
Patients transfused
preoperatively, n (%)	20 (15)	21 (14)
intraoperatively, n (%)	47 (34)	45 (29)
Bleeding intraoperatively (mL)	351 (292)	325 (275)
Hemiarthroplasty	462 (186) ^a	418 (251)
Sliding plate	193 (142)	148 (85)
Intramedullary nail	383 (393)	398 (349)

Values are shown as mean (SD) unless otherwise specified.

^a Including 1 total arthroplasty.

^b No data were available for 14 patients in the compression group and for 13 patients in the non-compression group.

Table 2. Results of the outcome variables

	Compression (n =138)	No compression (n = 154)	Mean difference or odds ratio (95% CI)	p-value
Blood units transfused postoperatively	1.3 (1.3)	1.1 (1.3)	0.17 (-0.13–0.46)	0.3
Patients transfused postoperatively, n (%)	85 (62)	84 (55)	1.34 (0.84–2.13)	0.2
Hemoglobin day 1 (g/L)	109 (10.3)	109 (11.2)	0.5 (-0.2–0.3)	0.7
Hemoglobin day 5 (g/L)	111 (9.7) ^a	113 (10.1) ^a	-2.1 (-4.4–0.3)	0.08

Data are shown as mean (SD) unless otherwise specified.

^a No data were available for 7 patients in the compression group and for 6 in the non-compression group.

Table 3. Results of the primary outcome variables stratified according to surgical method

Blood transfusion postoperatively	Compression (n = 138)		No compression (n = 154)		Mean difference or odds ratio (95% CI)	p-value
Blood units, mean (SD)
Hemiarthroplasty	n=45 ^a	0.87 (1.2)	n=60	0.83 (1.2)	0.03 (-0.5–0.5)	0.9
Sliding plate	n=42	1.10 (1.3)	n=50	0.98 (1.1)	0.1 (-0.4–0.6)	0.7
Intramedullary nail	n=51	1.82 (1.2)	n=44	1.68 (1.3)	0.1 (-0.4–0.7)	0.6
Patients, n (%)
Hemiarthroplasty	n=45 ^a	20 (44)	n=60	26 (43)	1.1 (0.48–2.3)	0.9
Sliding plate	n=42	22 (52)	n=50	25 (50)	1.1 (0.48–2.5)	0.8
Intramedullary nail	n=51	43 (84)	n=44	33 (75)	1.8 (0.65–5.0)	0.3

^a Including 1 total arthroplasty.