Jose Maria Pereira de Godoy, Maria de Fatima Guerreiro Godoy
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate epidemiological data and mortality of patients with anaerobic infections submitted to amputations.
Methods: In retrospective study of cohort were evaluating patients who underwent amputations due to anaerobic infections in the period from January 1998 to January 2008 were evaluated in a retrospective, quantitative observational study. The data were obtained from computerized hospital records with inclusion criteria being gas gangrene identified by signs of crepitation in the subcutaneous tissue during the physical evaluation and indications of gas on x-rays of the limb. Epidemiological data, such as gender, age, death, the level of amputation and diabetes mellitus were analyzed. The Fisher Exact test was utilized for statistical analysis with an alpha level of 5%.
Results: One hundred and ten patients were diagnosed with gas gangrene, 66 (60%) of of 87 of these patients (79%) had diabetes and 30 (27.3%) patients died. A total of 2809 patients were submitted to amputations for other reasons with 89 death. Patients with anaerobic infections had a significantly higher mortality rate that patients submitted to amputations for other reasons.
Conclusion: The death rate is higher in patients with gas gangrene and associated to the presence of diabetes mellitus who required surgical procedures.
