TITLE:
Quality of Life Following Major Limb Amputations in a Rural Community in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Nana Theophile Chunteng, Ngo-Yamben Marie-Ange, Bombah F. Mertens, Wamba Y. Jeazet, Andrew Eyoh Edjua, Ekani Boukar Mahamat, Muluem Kennedy, Manga Alex, Assob Clement
KEYWORDS:
Amputation, Limbs, Phantom Limb, Prosthesis, Quality of Life
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Orthopedics,
Vol.12 No.3,
March
22,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Limb amputation is considered the last resort when the limb is no longer
salvageable or when the limb is dead or dying, viable but nonfunctional or endangering the patient’s life. It is
associated with profound economic, social, and psychological effects on
the patients. The aim of this study is to
evaluate the quality of life of major limb amputees in a rural setting in western Cameroon.Methods: This was a
cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study carried out at the
BATSENGLA-DSCHANG community in the West Region of Cameroon. Participants were
interviewed and data collected using a
pre-defined accredited questionnaire of the WHOQOL-BREF to assess the quality of life. Results: There were 63
participants, and a majority (60.32%)
reported trauma as the cause of amputation. Participants with prostheses had a better quality of life. Conclusion: The age
range of the study participants was 18 to 85 years with a mean of 46.73 ± 18.31 years. The majority were males (74.6%). Most of them (41.27%) had attained at least a secondary
level of education, a majority (80.95%) were unemployed and more than half (55.56%) have less
than the guaranteed inter-professional minimum wage. Major limb amputations were mostly due to traumatic causes
(72%) and involved the lower limbs. Only a few
(12.70%) used prostheses. Almost all of them (90.48%) had symptoms
consistent with a phantom limb. The quality of life after major limb amputation in this study was generally fair according to the WHO
quality of life tool.