Prognostic Value of HALP and PNI Scores in Predicting 6-Month Mortality Among Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients

BACKGROUND Hip fractures in geriatric patients carry high morbidity and mortality due to advanced age, frailty, and multiple comorbidities. Accurate preoperative risk assessment is therefore essential. The hemoglobin-albumin-lymphocyte-platelet (HALP) score and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) are emerging immunonutritional biomarkers reflecting inflammatory and nutritional status. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the prognostic value of preoperative HALP and PNI scores for predicting 6-month mortality and postoperative complications in elderly hip fracture patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective cohort included 549 patients aged≥³65 years who underwent surgical repair of proximal femoral fractures between January 2021 and July 2024. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, fracture type, and preoperative laboratory data were analyzed. HALP and PNI scores were calculated from admission blood tests. Independent predictors of 6-month all-cause mortality were identified using Cox regression, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis determined optimal cut-off values. RESULTS The mean age was 78±9 years, and 51.9% were female. Six-month mortality was 16.4%. Non-survivors had significantly lower HALP and PNI scores (P<0.001). In multivariate Cox analysis, coronary artery disease (HR 2.57, 95% CI 1.66-4.00), postoperative complications (HR 3.97, 95% CI 2.57-6.15), and lower HALP levels (HR 3.11, 95% CI 1.19-8.13) were independently associated with mortality. Additionally, ROC analysis identified a HALP cut-off value of 0.176 for predicting mortality. CONCLUSIONS The HALP score showed modest prognostic value for 6-month mortality and can complement established clinical predictors. Its use in preoperative evaluation could help identify higher-risk patients, but its discriminatory ability should be interpreted with caution.