Nursing Care Plans for Traumatic Amputation. Traumatic amputation the accidental loss of a body part usually involves a finger, toe, arm, or leg. In complete amputation, the member is totally severed; in partial amputation, some soft-tissue connection remains. The prognosis for traumatic amputation has improved because of early, improved emergency and critical care management, new surgical techniques, early rehabilitation, prosthesis fitting, and new prosthesis designs. Amputations can be surgical (therapeutic) or traumatic (emergencies resulting from injury).

Causes for Traumatic Amputation

A traumatic amputation may result from a cutting, tearing, or crushing insult involving the use of factory, farm, or power tools, or from a motor vehicle accident.

Complications for Traumatic Amputation

Hypovolemic shock and sepsis are possible complications in traumatic amputation. If reimplantation is attempted, residual paralysis may occur.

Levels of Amputation

• Below the knee
• Syme procedure
• Transmetatarsal/toe Amputation
• Hip disarticulation/extensive hemipelvectomy
• Upper extremity

Nursing assessment Nursing Care Plans for Traumatic Amputation

• Patient history reveals the type of accident that caused the amputation.
• Inspection:   partially or completely severed body lost, hemorrhage and soft tissue damage, type of wound well-defined edges and damage is local/ crush amputation, damage involves the tissue and arterial.
• Psychosocial:   patient with a traumatic amputation may be in the denial phase of grief

Traumatic Amputation Treatment

Blood loss and hypovolemic shock is the greatest immediate threat in traumatic amputation.

• Control bleeding,
• Fluid replacement with sterile normal saline or lactated ringer’s solution, colloids, and
• Blood replacement as needed.
• Reimplantation
• Early prosthesis fitting and rehabilitation.

Nursing diagnosis Nursing Care Plans for  Amputation

Common Nursing diagnosis found in Nursing Care Plans for Traumatic Amputation:

• Acute pain
• Deficient fluid volume
• Disturbed body image
• Dressing or grooming self-care deficit
• Fear
• Hopelessness
• Impaired physical mobility
• Impaired skin integrity
• Ineffective coping
• Ineffective role performance
• Ineffective tissue perfusion: Peripheral
• Risk for disuse syndrome
• Risk for infection
• Risk for post trauma syndrome

Nursing key outcomes, Interventions and patient teaching Nursing Care Plans for Traumatic Amputation