DOI: 10.21276/sasjm.2018.4.2.1

Pages: 13-16

Amputation of a limb affects almost every aspect of an individual's life. The psychological state of amputees is an obstacle to progress towards autonomy and socio-professional reintegration. This is a prospective study of 18 patients who were admitted to the trauma surgery department of Ibn Sina University Hospital in Rabat for traumatic limb amputation. Psychological assessment of our patients was done during hospitalization and rehabilitation at 3, 6 and 12 months using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Data was analyzed using SPSS. The average age of the patients was 29 years, of whom 3 were female (17%). Half of the patients were married. Traffic accidents accounted for 83% of the cases and 17% of work accidents. Amputation of the lower limb was performed in 82% of cases. 57% of amputations were performed on the day of the trauma. The average HADS in our patients was 23.6 at admission and then we found a decrease at 17.3 at 3 months, 13.3 at 6 months; 12.1 to one year, with no variation between the lower extremity amputees and the upper limb. We emphasize the importance of psychological management of amputees upon admission to emergency department in Moroccan context to facilitate adaptation to the new situation and the socio-professional integration.