Abstract:

Background: Globally one million amputations are reported each year, one every 30 seconds. By 2017, 57.7 million people across the globe have been living with traumatic amputation. Amputation rates have increased in number in our society due to the rise of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes attributed by a westernized lifestyle. Thus, this study aimed to describe the indications, patterns and factors associated with major limb amputations among patients admitted to Bugando Medical Centre Mwanza Tanzania.

Methodology: This was a retrospective hospital based study conducted at Bugando Medical Centre over two-month period involving data obtained from the eHMIS involving patients who underwent major limb amputations at Bugando Medical Centre over two years from 2020 to 2022. Data obtained was analysed using SPSS and presented inform of table and figures.

Results: This study involved 386 patients where males were in large number compared to females in a ratio of 2.8:1. Major indication for major limb amputation was due to diabetes mellitus contributing to 171 (44.3%) where mostly the lower limbs were involved in 256 (66.3%) patients. Major mechanism of injury was open wound occurred in 133 (34.5%) patients.

Conclusion: This study described the most common indication of major limb amputations at Bugando Medical Centre to be due to diabetes mellitus whereby unilateral lower limb was involved in majority of participants where the most common mechanism of injury were due to open wound and penetrating injury. Factors such as history of diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, leg ulcer, gangrene and presence of underlying chronic medical condition were described as being associated with major limb amputation.