OCENA FUNKCJONOWANIA W ŻYCIU CODZIENNYM I WYBRANYCH PROCESÓW POZNAWCZYCH U CHORYCH PO AMPUTACJI KOŃCZYN DOLNYCH

Abstrakt

ASSESSMENT OF DAILY FUNCTIONING AND SELECTED COGNITIVE PROCESSES IN PATIENTS AFTER LOWER LIMB AMPUTATION

Introduction. Lower limb amputation is a surgical procedure most often performed for advanced ischemic changes, when both conservative and surgical methods fail to produce the desired therapeutic outcomes. The present study aimed to assess daily functioning and selected cognitive processes in patients following lower limb amputation.

Material and methods. The study involved 33 patients (24 men and 9 women), aged 50 to over 80 years, who were hospitalized in the Department of General, Vascular and Angiology Surgery. The following instruments were used: the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, for evaluating functional deficits in essential daily activities; and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), for assessing cognitive functioning. In addition, a questionnaire was administered to collect sociodemographic and clinical data.

Results. According to the KATZ Index, 26% of men were classified as fully independent, another 26% showed minor difficulties in performing activities of daily living, while 48% were unable to function independently. Among women, all patients (100%) were classified within the category of severe functional impairment. A significant association was found between age and the occurrence of cognitive dysfunctions. The levels of statistical significance were as follows: KATZ Index, p = 0.010; IADL scale, p = 0.0001; MMSE, p = 0.014. Statistical analysis further revealed no significant differences in the occurrence of cognitive dysfunctions with respect to the type of amputation: KATZ Index, p = 0.254, IADL scale, p = 0.187; MMSE, p = 0.173.

Conclusions. The findings highlight the need for preventive strategies aimed at the early detection of chronic lower limb ischaemia and its complications, in order to reduce the risk of amputation.

Keywords: atherosclerosis, cognitive processes, lower limb amputation.