Traumatic amputations: a nationwide epidemiological analysis of a developing country over 16 years

Traumatic amputations are one of the most common causes of limb loss; however, few studies have investigated the epidemiology of traumatic amputations and their implications for public health in developing countries. Therefore, this study aimed to epidemiologically analyse all amputations resulting from traumatic injuries in the Brazilian public health system over a 16-year period.

This is a population-based epidemiological study that analysed traumatic amputations performed in the Brazilian public health system from 2008 to 2023. Data were extracted from the Brazilian public database (DATASUS), including the number of procedures, regional distribution, patient demographics, length of hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, financial reimbursement and lethality. A significance level of p≤0.050 was set for all statistical tests.

There were 202 940 traumatic amputations in Brazil between 2008 and 2023. The majority of cases involved fingers (62.7%) and male patients (78.7%), with a median age of 47 years. Lower limb amputations led to the longest hospital and ICU stays. The median length of stay was 2 days, with a lethality rate of 3.15%. The total estimated cost to the public health system was US$54 870 097.79, with lower limb cases representing the highest cost per patient.

The number of traumatic amputations and their lethality is still alarming in Brazil. Therefore, our results can help guide strategies to reduce the significant impact and morbidity of traumatic amputations in Brazil and other similar countries.