Riassunto dello studio

A total of 57 randomized controlled trials with 8,886 patients were included in this meta-analysis comparing elderly patients undergoing a hip arthroplasty were randomized to receive a fast-track surgery (FTS) peri-operative nursing protocol (n=4448) or the standard of care (n=4438). Primary outcomes of interest were the hospital length of stay, function evaluated using the Harris hip score (HHS), pain evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and satisfaction. The secondary outcome of interest was the leaving bed time. Additional outcomes of interest included cost and the incidence of complications (i.e. respiratory system infection, urinary system infection, venous thrombus embolism (VTE), pressure sore, incision infection, constipation, and prosthesis dislocation). Pooled results revealed that all outcomes were statistically significantly in favour of the FTS group compared to the control (p<0.05 for all).