OrthoBullets vs iatroX (2025): The Surgical Silo vs The Peri-Op Assistant
At a Glance
Who is it for?
iatroX:Junior Doctors & Ortho teams managing medical issues.
OrthoBullets:Orthopaedic Surgeons & Residents managing trauma.
Why choose iatroX?
- **Medical Management**: Handles the hypertension, diabetes, and AKI management for surgical patients.
- **NICE Guidelines**: Provides UK-specific VTE and antibiotic prophylaxis rules.
- **Generalist Scope**: Covers the 90% of the patient that isn't the broken bone.
- **Interactive**: 'How do I bridge warfarin for a hip fracture?'
Why choose OrthoBullets?
- **Fracture Classification**: The global standard for AO/OTA classification.
- **Surgical Approaches**: Step-by-step guides to the operation itself.
- **Implants**: Detailed info on nails, plates, and screws.
- **Pathology**: Deep dives into bone tumours and histology.
Feature Comparison
| Capability | iatroX | OrthoBullets |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | The Patient (Medical) | The Bone (Surgical) |
| Guidelines | NICE / BOAST (VTE/Antibiotics) | Surgical Evidence / Trials |
| Use Phase | Peri-operative Care | Intra-operative / Planning |
In-Depth Analysis
Overview
OrthoBullets is a masterpiece of vertical depth. For an orthopaedic surgeon, it is the Bible. It tells you how to classify the fracture, which screw to use, and how to approach the dissection.
iatroX provides the horizontal breadth. Orthopaedic patients are often elderly and multimorbid. They have diabetes, heart failure, and renal impairment. iatroX helps the junior doctor or SHO manage the medicine around the surgery—the "Orthogeriatrics" gap that often causes delays or complications.
The Perfect Workflow
- OrthoBullets: Use it to plan the surgery and classify the injury for the trauma meeting.
- iatroX: Use it to manage the patient's fast AF, prescribe their VTE prophylaxis correctly, and manage their post-op delirium according to NICE guidelines.
Use-Cases
Classifying a Weber B Fracture
When to choose iatroX
- N/A
When to choose OrthoBullets
- **Essential.** Provides the classification and surgical indication.
Managing Post-Op AF
When to choose iatroX
- **Essential.** 'Fast AF in post-op patient – rate control vs rhythm control?'
When to choose OrthoBullets
- Not useful for medical complications.
VTE Prophylaxis
When to choose iatroX
- **Recommended.** Checks NICE NG89 for the specific hip fracture protocol.
When to choose OrthoBullets
- Good general advice, but may not match local UK Trust policy.
FAQs
- Is OrthoBullets free?
- Yes, it is largely free with premium options for question banks.
- Does iatroX cover surgical techniques?
- No. iatroX focuses on medical diagnosis and management. For surgical technique, stick to OrthoBullets.