Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1992-3-31
pubmed:abstractText
A rehabilitation service based in a department of geriatric medicine and dealing exclusively with amputees aged 65 years or over, is described. Provision of prostheses has been expedited, and the multi-disciplinary approach of the department has been beneficial in rehabilitation especially of the amputee with multiple pathology. The experience of the first 146 patients with an average age of 74.1 years is reviewed. Discharge home was achieved in 77.6% of the patients provided with a prosthesis and in a small multi-centre study of the post discharge status of 20 elderly amputees it was found that over 90% used their prosthesis regularly and the great majority were independent in the activities of daily living. Although BKA (Below knee amputation) is preferable to AKA (Above knee amputation), the functional benefit in this age group is not always as significant as traditional attitudes would suggest whereas a failed BKA has serious consequences in terms of psychological impact, morbidity and length of hospital stay. In order to minimise the number of BKA's requiring revision or re-amputation every effort should be made to ensure that the initial procedure is carried out by a surgeon with experience of amputation in this age group. Limb provision is cost effective and the frequent difficulty with regard to the financing of prostheses for elderly amputees is counter-productive.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Oct
pubmed:issn
0332-3102
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
84
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
91-3
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-10-26
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1991
pubmed:articleTitle
Rehabilitation of the elderly amputee.
pubmed:affiliation
James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article