Blood pressure study for hip op patients

Dr Andrew Kane, who works as a consultant at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, is the trial's lead investigator

Hip fracture surgery patients could be discharged home sooner following a forthcoming clinical trial on Teesside, it is hoped.

The trial is aimed at preventing low blood pressure during surgery, which can be harmful to the heart, kidneys or brain, particularly in elderly patients.

University Hospital Tees will be recruiting up to 100 people for the randomised trial funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Half will receive the usual practice of blood pressure readings every five minutes, and the others continuous beat-to-beat monitoring, to determine which offers the most effective outcome.

Lead investigator Dr Andrew Kane, who works as a consultant at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, said: "We know low blood pressure during surgery can be harmful for patients.

"If we monitor blood pressure during every heartbeat, we may pick up on low blood pressure sooner, treat it, prevent harm, and in turn improve recovery outcomes."

The beat-to-beat monitoring, which requires a drip inserted into an artery at the wrist with local anaesthetic, is done for other operations but is relatively rare for hip fracture surgery.

Patients will be recruited for the study from the autumn.

Dr Kane added: "Every year 70,000 people break their hip in England - if this treatment is effective, that's a lot of patients whose health and wellbeing could benefit from this simple procedure."

The trial is being led by the North Yorkshire Academic Alliance of Perioperative Medicine and the Academic Centre for Surgery at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of York and Hull York Medical School.