Diabetes-related lower extremity amputations in Ontario: 1987-88 experience

Lower extremity amputee rates were estimated for diabetic persons living in Ontario. The rates were specified for age, sex and six Health Regions. The 1987-88 Hospital Records Institute database supplied the information regarding the amputations and the prevalence of diabetes in Ontario was estimated from age/sex specific diabetic rates of the U.S. The crude amputee rate for Ontario is 40 amputees/year/10,000 diabetics and the amputation rate is 44 amputations/year/10,000. These rates are lower than the 101 amputees/year/10,000 reported in the U.K. and are reasonably close to those of the U.S. (59.7 amputations/year/10,000). Age and sex Standardized Morbidity Ratios indicated that Region 1 and 6 have significantly higher and Region 2 significantly lower amputee rates than the Province. There is an almost two-fold difference between the highest and the lowest DRLEA rates of the six regions. (Range: 60-30). These results should be interpreted with caution, since actual prevalence rates of diabetes are not available.