Association between low admission norton scale scores and postoperative complications after elective THA in elderly patients

The Norton scoring system is used by nurses to evaluate pressure ulcer risk. The authors have previously shown that low admission Norton scale scores (ANSS) are associated with postoperative complications other than pressure ulcers following hip fracture and spine fracture surgery in elderly patients. The purpose of this retrospective, cross-sectional study study was to determine whether low ANSS are associated with postoperative complications other than pressure ulcers following elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) in elderly patients. The medical charts of consecutive elderly (older than 65 years) patients admitted between February 2008 and November 2010 were studied for acute renal failure, cardiovascular events, confusion, pneumonia, pressure ulcers, urinary infection, urinary retention, venous thromboembolism, wound infection, and other complications. The final cohort included 166 patients (108 [65.1%] women; aged 75.2±6.4 years). Overall, 24 (14.5%) patients had low (16 or less) ANSS. Patients with low ANSS had significantly more postoperative complications other than pressure ulcers compared with patients with high ANSS (0.5±0.7 vs 0.2±0.4, respectively; P=.018). Binary regression analysis showed that low ANSS were independently associated with all postoperative complications other than pressure ulcers (P=.039). In addition to predicting pressure ulcer risk, the Norton scoring system may be used for predicting other postoperative complications in elderly patients following elective THA.