Task Force recommends routine osteoporosis screening - Brief Article

AORN Journal,  Nov, 2002  

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The US Prevention Task Force recommends that women age 65 and older routinely undergo screening for osteoporosis, according to a Sept 16, 2002, news release from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Age is the greatest risk factor for osteoporosis, which affects 12% to 28% of women age 65 and older. Women identified as being at high risk for the disease because of their weight (ie, under 154 lbs) or because they are not using estrogen should begin routine screenings at age 60. These recommendations mark the first time that the task force has called for routine osteoporosis screenings.

Osteoporosis occurs when bone tissue thins or develops small holes. This condition can result in pain, spinal abnormalities, broken bones, and loss of height. Approximately 50% of women who live to age 85 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lives; 25% of these women will develop a spine abnormality; and 15% will fracture a hip.

The task force found that dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), a noninvasive test, is the most accurate method of measuring bone density. The best predictor of hip fracture is DEXA of the hip; however, bone density of the hand, wrist, forearm, and heel also can be measured to detect risk.

Task Force Urges Routine Osteoporosis Screening for Women 65 and Older to Identify Those at Risk for Fracture (news release, Rockville, Md: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Sept 16, 2002).

COPYRIGHT 2002 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group