CHARACTERIZATION OF FEMORAL FRACTURES IN PATIENTS ADMITTED TO AN EMERGENCY AND TRAUMA HOSPITAL IN JOÃO PESSOA, PB, IN THE PERIOD 2008-2009

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the femoral fractures treated in the Emergency and Trauma Hospital Senator Humberto Lucena, in the city of João Pessoa, PB, between the years 2008 and 2009. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive and documentary study whose sample consisted of 300 medical records of patients diagnosed with femoral fractures. It was used a questionnaire consisting of 20 objective variables on sociodemographic and clinical data, hospital information and interventions. Data were analyzed on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 16.0 for Windows, using the chi-square (x2) test with a significance level of 0.05. Results: It was found that fractures with proximal femoral location prevailed in older women (>60 years) and were caused by fall from own height, while diaphyseal fractures were found predominantly in young male adults aged up to 30 years due to automobile accidents. The hospital output for clinical discharge occurred in 89.4% of cases, while death was reported for 6.3% of the patients. General admission complications were observed in 25% of cases. Conclusion: The characterization of the patients analyzed follows a standard clinical diagnosis and age distribution with predominance of proximal fractures in falling female elderly and diaphyseal fractures in young men suffering from high-energy trauma. DESCRIPTORS: Femur. Morbidity. Mortality.