This site is intended for UK healthcare professionals
Medscape UK Univadis Logo
Medscape UK Univadis Logo
News

Major lower limb amputation rates continue to rise, says PHE report

New data from the Diabetes Foot Care Profiles, published by PHE’s National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network, shows that major lower limb amputations continue to rise with 7545 major amputations taking place between 2015 and 2018 compared with 6957 between 2012 and 2015.

New data also show that the rate of major amputations caused by diabetes is greatest in white men and the risk for diabetes is higher in some ethnic groups, particularly those from South Asia, with the risk for amputation showing significant variation across the country.

The findings during the 3-year period of 2015 to 2016 up to 2017 to 2018 show that 147,067 patients had hospital stays for diabetic foot disease, with an average length of hospital stay of 8 days; and a total of 1,826,734 days spent in hospital for diabetic foot disease.

Over the 3-year period, 85,837 patients were admitted for foot disease and 33% of these had more than one stay. The rate of major amputations was higher among men (rate, 10.5/10,000 population-years compared with women (rate, 4.9/10,000 population-years); and white population rate of 9.6/10,000  and non-white of 2.6/10,000 population-years.

Dr Jenifer Smith, Programme Director at PHE for the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, said, “It’s a tragedy that so many people are unnecessarily having to face the life-changing consequences of diabetes, such as amputations. Survival rates and quality of life for people following such major surgery can often be poor. This shouldn’t be happening when the condition is preventable”.


References


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE