"Treating hip fractures in the elderly should be completed within 48 hours to reduce complications and mortality. If patients have multiple underlying conditions, preoperative preparation becomes more complex and requires efficient multidisciplinary collaboration," he said.

Compared to hip fracture patients undergoing surgery, those opting for conservative treatment face a 6 — to 15-fold higher mortality rate. "Seizing the critical window for treatment is key to saving the lives and quality of life of elderly patients," he added.

If elderly hip fracture patients fail to undergo surgery in a timely manner, the mortality rate within one year can reach 30 percent.

"Hip fractures are not fatal, but the complications caused by fractures that keep elderly people bedridden are deadly," said Yang Zhao, director of the emergency department at Tianjin Hospital. There are many cases of multiple organ failure caused by delayed treatment, operating as soon as possible is the core principle in treating elderly hip fractures, Yang said.