Euthyroid Sick Syndrome (ESS) in proximal femoral fractures: a proof-of-concept evaluation of postoperative outcomes in elderly patients.

Summary: When older adults break their hip or thigh bone, it is a very serious injury that requires surgery. Sometimes, the body reacts to the severe stress of the broken bone by changing how the thyroid gland works, even if the person doesn't have a real thyroid disease. Doctors call this "Euthyroid Sick Syndrome" or ESS.

In this study, doctors looked at 36 older patients who had surgery for a broken thigh bone. They found that the 20 patients who developed ESS were much more likely to pass away within a year after surgery compared to the patients with normal thyroids. This means that checking for ESS could be a helpful way for doctors to figure out which patients are at the highest risk and might need extra care.