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Skin problems in amputees: a descriptive study
Author(s) -
Koc Erol,
Tunca Mustafa,
Akar Ahmet,
Erbil A. Hakan,
Demiralp Bahtiyar,
Arca Ercan
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-4632
pISSN - 0011-9059
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2008.03604.x
Subject(s) - medicine , amputation , incidence (geometry) , prosthesis , complication , population , diabetes mellitus , surgery , dermatology , physics , environmental health , optics , endocrinology
Background Skin problems are common in amputee patients. These problems may restrict the normal use of a prosthetic limb. We aimed to determine the range, incidence, causes and patterns of dermatological problems seen in a population of amputees. Materials and methods One hundred and forty two amputees, were enrolled to the study. Age, sex, age at the time of amputation, level of amputation, reason for amputation, and types of prosthesis were noted. Dermatological problems were recorded. Stumps were swabbed for bacteriological and mycological examination, and patch tests were performed in suspected patients. Results Of these 142 patients, 139 (97.9%) were males and 3 (2.1%) were females. The reasons for amputation in the majority of the cases were wounds due to mine explosion ( n = 114, 80.3%) and gunshot wounds ( n = 19, 13.4%). The other reasons were arterial diseases, traffic accidents, congenital absence of the tibia, and vascular complication of diabetes. At least one skin problem was detected in 105 (73.9%) of 142 cases. Positive reactions to allergens have been detected in 28 (43%) of 65 cases with dermatitis. Bacterial infection was detected in 12 patients and fungal infection was detected in 4 patients. Conclusion Our descriptive study shows that skin problems have a high prevalence, up to 73.9% in amputee patients. This high percentage indicates that dermatological problems are important in amputees. Early recognition and treatment of these problems can prevent the amputee's mental, social, and economic losses.