Abstract
Background: Amputations and disarticulation of the limbs are becoming a public health problem. Goal: To describe the epidemiological and etiological aspects of limb amputation in Kisangani. Methods: A retrospective study of three health facilities in the city of Kisangani: Kisangani Clinical University, General Hospital Makiso-Kisangani Reference and Kabondo Reference General Hospital from 1st January 2005 to 31st December 2014 counted 62 cases of amputation. Results: The prevalence of 14.69% of all interventions of limbs. The age group of 57 - 75 years is the most concerned and the male/female sex ratio is 2.9/1. The unemployed are most affected 51.6%. The lower limb is concerned in 88.7%, including 30.6% in the lower leg and the right side is reached in 56.5% of cases. Diabetic gangrene (30.1%) is criminalized followed by traumatism (27.4%). The mortality rate is 17.8%. Conclusion: The amputation of limbs is a situation encountered in Kisangani. The adult male is most affected. Diabetic gangrene and open fractures are the most encountered causes. Mortality is high. The early management of diabetics and open fractures is a mandatory.
Highlights
The removal of part or whole limb, amputation, seriously hampers the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by reducing productivity [1] [2]
Any limb amputation painfully affects the patient in his daily activities, his job, his leisure [3] and a handicap that will effect on many levels and so intricate functional abilities, his social and professional life and psychology
Socio-professional reintegration is not yet well established in most low-income countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where only few studies have focused on this subject, including one conducted in January 1996 by Ahuka and Lusi [8] and a recent one by Valimungighe MM et al en 2015 [9]
Summary
The removal of part or whole limb, amputation, seriously hampers the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by reducing productivity [1] [2]. The limb amputations still represent today a serious public health problem, affecting both human and substantial financial; we are more and more helping to the development of limb salvage concept in the north countries [5]. Those affected are not necessarily the older people but young assets [6]. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological and etiological aspects of limb amputation in Kisangani. Amputations and disarticulation of the limbs are becoming a public health problem. Goal: To describe the epidemiological and etiological aspects of limb amputation in Kisangani. The early management of diabetics and open fractures is a mandatory
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