Early surgery for hip fractures is beneficial but is often delayed by anticoagulation. Direct acting anticoagulants (DOAC), Rivaroxaban and Apixiban, are increasingly used in primary and secondary care but there is no specific reversal agent. Current guidance is to delay surgery 48 hours. Anti-factorXa levels < 80 ug/l are considered safe for major surgery and for spinal anaesthesia. We investigated if delay in this cohort of patients can be predicted or reduced. 41 consecutive patients presenting with a hip fracture on therapeutic dose DOAC were identified. Anti- factorXa levels were collected at 24hours and repeated at 48hours if elevated. We investigated if renal function or clotting screen could help predict safe time to surgery.Introduction
Patients/Materials & Methods