Risk factors for amputation in traffic accident victims

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the risk factors for traumatic amputation in victims of traffic accidents. Methodology: This is an epidemiological, retrospective, descriptive and analytical study, with a quantitative approach, carried out in a quaternary reference hospital in trauma, in the city of Recife-PE. The population was composed of individuals who were victims of traffic accidents, hospitalized in the adult traumatology sector and who underwent amputation surgery. The non-probabilistic sample, for convenience, consisted of 70 patients who underwent amputation surgery during the period from July 2014 to June 2018. Results: Most were male (82.9%); in the age group of 18 to 39 years (62.9%); single (60%), the most frequent type of accident was a motorcycle fall with 34.3%; 60% were the driver and 27.1% were pedestrians; 11.4% did not use safety equipment; and 11.4% used alcohol. The most frequent injuries corresponded to multiple injuries (48.6%); 42.8% were hospitalized less than 30 days (42.8%); 14.3% were admitted to the ICU and remained from 1 to 84 days; the most frequent type of amputation (57.1%) was transfemoral, 27.1% transtibial and the remaining 15.7% were of other types. Conclusion: The study's findings regarding the risk factors for traumatic amputation did not show a significant association, but contribute to investigate the risk factors for amputation in a highly complex reference service.