Pathophysiology: Fractured Hip on an Elderly Patient, Research Paper Example

A primary matter to note on this particular case is the fact that the patient is a hypertensive individual. This particular matter plays a great role in identifying the cause of the incident where the patient falls and specifically injures the hip area therefore causing fracture. Hip fracture is most often than not noted as the fracture that occurs in the proximal end of the long bone near the hip called the femur. When a hip fracture happens when a patient falls, it is often categorized as a fragility fracture. This is because of the fact that such fracture might involve breakage of the bone itself. Symptoms of such occurrence are often noted by the presentation of the patient not being able to bear weight. Most likely, even the slightest weight would have an impact on the broken bone thus causing massive pain that is hard to bear for the patient. Another matter to consider is the tilting or the uneven rotation or perhaps the unnatural shortening of the other leg compared to the unaffected part. When such symptoms occur, it is highly suggested that the patient see a physician immediately for check up and diagnosis.

The hip joint is a unique bone due to the fact that it is relatively able to experience the pressure of having to contain stress from several and combined loads. When the body lifts anything [from below towards an upper level or from a higher level pressuring the body down] the hip bone receives the pressure from the weighed element being carried. This is the reason why it is assumed that as a person ages, the more risk it is for him or her to incur such types of injury. Concerning the patient’s case in this particular situation, the emergence of hypertension plays a great role in increasing such risk. For instance, if the patient is taking in antihypertensive drugs such as thiazide diuretics and other enzyme converting substances, it is most likely that they would be involved in falling accidents. According to recent studies, people, specifically the older ones, likely incur lack of physical control within a 45-period span of time after the intake of an anti-hypertension medication. Such lack of control renders the individuals to a larger possibility of falling accidentally. The weak capacity of the body of an elderly patient to immediately disperse the medication substance to the different parts of the body and out as waste makes it harder for the patient to regain bodily control in a much immediate pattern of time.

Hence, when an elderly patient falls and relatively feels the symptoms noted in this discussion, it is important to see a physician immediately for the sake of completing particular tests that would determine the gravity of the fracture. CT scan and X-ray examinations may be necessary to see such weight of the fracture. Notably, when the fractures are not as serious as that of a broken bone, the patients are simply asked to return regularly for a physical therapy that could actually last for a month or so. However, when the case needs to involve surgical procedures that would subject the patient to even more serious operations, it is highly recommended that the patient be given a heads-up on what is going to happen and what is likely to be expected from the operation. Once the operation is completed, it is essential that the patient undergo particular rehabilitation operations that involve physical therapy as well as medication to lessen the pain and improve the progress of the recovery.

Reference

Butt, DA (et al). 2012. The risk of hip fracture after initiating antihypertensive drugs in the elderly. Ellesmere Health Care Centre and The Scarborough Hospital, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Archive of Internal Medicine. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23165923. (Retrieved on October 9, 2013).