Abstract

Traumatic amputations are important causes of acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. In this study, we aimed to find out the occurrence rate of symptoms of acute and post-traumatic stress disorder after traumatic amputations and according to this, to assess the psychiatric status of the patients in the postoperative period. Twenty-two patients with traumatic limb amputation who were treated in our institution were retrospectively evaluated. During the early post-traumatic period, the patients were observed to determine whether they needed any psychiatric supportive treatment. During the follow-up period, after the sixth month from the trauma, the patients were referred to the psychiatry department and they were evaluated to determine whether they needed any psychiatric supportive treatment, by clinical psychiatric examination and use of the ‘post-traumatic stress disorder scale' (Clinician Administered Post traumatic Scale, or CAPS). Twenty-one (95.5%) of 22 patients were male, one (4.5%) female. Mean age of the patients was 40.8 years (range : 15 to 69). During the early post-traumatic period, 8 (36.3%) of these patients consulted the psychiatry clinic following the orthopaedists' observations. Five (%22.7) of these patients needed psychiatric supportive treatment for acute stress disorder. After the 6th month (6 months to 5 years), 17 (77.2%) had chronic and delayed post-traumatic stress disorder and needed psychiatric supportive treatment. Patients who have sustained a traumatic amputation may need psychiatric supportive treatment in the late period after the trauma. As we orthopaedic surgeons treat these patients surgically, we should be aware of their psychiatric status.