WHiTE 16-DELPHIC is a randomised comparison appended to the World Hip Trauma Evaluation (WHiTE) Platform.
A broken hip (hip fracture) is a very serious injury that requires surgery to repair or replace the broken bone followed by a long period in hospital to recover. Around a quarter of patients with hip fractures die within a year and those that survive have a permanent loss of quality of life. Worldwide there are 1.3 million hip fractures each year, with more than 70,000 in the UK.
Around a quarter of patients who have a hip fracture have an episode of ‘delirium’ around the time of their surgery. Delirium is a condition where the patient loses awareness of themselves and their environment, and has difficulty thinking clearly. For relatives and friends, and the patient, delirium is very disturbing. The symptoms of delirium are similar to those of patients with dementia but develop over a short period and tend to vary over time. In the short-term, delirium leads to longer stays in hospital and an increased risk of complications including death. In the longer term, delirium is closely linked with an increased risk of developing dementia. Delirium is thought to be caused by inflammation in the brain. The inflammation is triggered by the injury and is thought to get worse during surgery.
This study will investigate a drug called dexamethasone which is given during surgery. Dexamethasone is a commonly used anti-inflammatory drug. This study aims to decide if patients who have operations on broken hips are less likely to have delirium if we treat them with dexamethasone during the operation.
94 patients at approximately 8 hospitals in the UK will be approached to take part in the study, with the first site opening in January 2026.
This study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) programme.