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Postservice lower limb amputation in Scottish military veterans
- Source :
- BMJ military health. 168(1)
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- IntroductionRecent attention has focused on veterans who have lost limbs in conflict, but the number of UK veterans who lose limbs to disease is unknown. We used data from the Trends in Scottish Veterans’ Health study to explore postservice lower limb amputation.MethodsWe carried out a retrospective cohort study of 78 000 veterans and 253 000 non-veterans born between 1945 and 1995, matched for age, sex and area of residence. We used survival analysis to examine the risk of amputation in veterans compared with non-veterans, and explored associations with antecedent disease.ResultsWe found no difference between veterans and non-veterans in the risk of lower limb amputation, which was recorded in 145 (0.19%) veterans and 464 (0.18%) non-veterans (Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) 1.00, 95% CIs 0.82 to 1.20, p=0.961). Peripheral arterial disease was recorded in two-thirds of both veteran and non-veteran amputees, and type 2 diabetes in 41% of veterans and 33% of non-veterans, with a dual diagnosis in 32% of veterans and 26% of non-veterans. Trauma was an infrequent cause of amputation.ConclusionsAlthough in later life veterans are no more likely to lose a limb to disease than non-veterans, the number so affected greatly outweighs those who have lost limbs in conflict. The high public profile of conflict-related limb loss risks eclipsing the needs of veterans with disease-related loss. Support for ageing veterans who have lost limbs due to disease will require planning with the same care as that afforded to the victims of conflict if inequalities are to be avoided.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
medicine.medical_treatment
Disease
Type 2 diabetes
Amputation, Surgical
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
030502 gerontology
Epidemiology
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
health care economics and organizations
Survival analysis
Retrospective Studies
Veterans
business.industry
Hazard ratio
Retrospective cohort study
General Medicine
medicine.disease
humanities
Amputation
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Lower Extremity
Scotland
Physical therapy
Dual diagnosis
0305 other medical science
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 26333775
- Volume :
- 168
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMJ military health
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....fcd19ced22b75d56b91d366e9c898b05