ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Geriatric Medicine
Validation of the Caprini risk assessment model and efficacy of perioperative nutritional support + preventive nursing in reducing DVT among high-risk older adults undergoing hip fracture surgery: A two-phase study
Pingfang Liu 1
Ting Shu 2
Manhua Liu 1
Fei Liu 1
Yongping Li 1
1. Hunan University of Medicine General Hospital, Huaihua, China
2. Jishou University School of Medicine, Jishou, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the predictive accuracy of the original Caprini risk assessment model for postoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in older adult patients with hip fractures and to assess the effect of perioperative nutritional support combined with preventive nursing on nutritional status and DVT incidence. Methods: A total of 112 older adult patients with hip fractures who underwent surgical treatment were included. Patients were retrospectively categorized as DVT (n=38) or non-DVT (n=74) groups for Phase 1 analysis. For Phase 2, all patients were prospectively randomized into a control or intervention group (n=56 each). The predictive accuracy of the original Caprini scale was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The intervention group received preventive nursing (based on original Caprini scores) and perioperative nutritional support, while the control group received routine care. Nutritional status, functional outcomes, DVT incidence, and satisfaction were compared. Results: The original Caprini score was higher in the DVT group (P < 0.05). Using the original classification (low: 0-1, moderate: 2, high: 3-4, highest: ≥5), the proportion of patients in the "highest risk" category (≥5) was significantly higher in the DVT group (94.74%) than in the non-DVT group (70.27%) (P < 0.05). The AUC was 0.724 (95% CI: 0.657–0.791; P < 0.001). Postoperatively, the intervention group showed superior nutritional biomarkers (ALB, PA, Hb), shorter time to mobilization and hospital stay, better hip function (Harris score) and quality of life (SF-36), a lower DVT incidence (P < 0.05), and higher nursing satisfaction (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The Caprini risk assessment model demonstrates predictive value for DVT risk in this population. The combined intervention of perioperative nutritional support and preventive nursing improves nutritional status, functional recovery, and reduces DVT incidence.
Summary
Keywords
Caprini risk assessment scale, Deep venous thrombosis, Elderly, Hip fracture, Nutritional Support, preventive nursing
Received
23 September 2025
Accepted
26 January 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Liu, Shu, Liu, Liu and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Yongping Li
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.