Characterization of patients with high-energy lower extremity trauma

Purpose: (a) to report the demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, social, and vocational characteristics of patients enrolled in a study to examine o utcomes after high-energy lower extremity trauma (HELET) and to compare the m with the general population; (b) to determine whether characteristics of patients undergoing limb salvage versus amputation after HELET are signific antly different from each other. Design and Study Population: A prospective study of 601 patients admitted w ith high-energy lower extremity trauma to eight Level I trauma centers. Procedures: Patients were evaluated during the initial hospitalization. The y are being followed up for 24 months postinjury. Study patients are compar ed with the general population by using census information, population surv ey data, and published norms. Characteristics of patients undergoing limb salvage versus amputation are a lso compared. Results: Most patients were male (77 percent), white (72 percent), and betw een the ages of twenty and forty-five years (71 percent). Seventy percent g raduated from high school (compared with 86 percent nationally) (p < 0.05). One fourth lived in households with incomes below the federal poverty line , compared with 16 percent nationally (p < 0.05). The percentage with no he alth insurance (38 percent) was also higher than in the general population (20 percent) (p < .05). The percentage of heavy drinkers was over two times higher than reported nationally (p < 0.01). Study patients were slightly m ore neurotic and extroverted and less open to new experiences. When patient characteristics were compared for those undergoing amputation versus limb salvage, no significant differences were found among any of the variables ( p > 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, LEAP patients differ in important ways from the general population. However, the decision to amputate verus reconstruct doe s not appear to be significantly influenced by patient characteristics.