The Northern Territory has the highest rate of diabetes-related lower limb amputations in Australia, at 65 per 100,000 people, which is four times the national average. While a total, precise number of living amputees is not explicitly stated in recent reports, the NT experiences 602 total amputation hospitalisations and holds the highest regional incidence rate, particularly in the Outback.
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Key Statistics for Amputation in the Northern Territory
Highest Rate: The NT has the highest incidence rate of lower limb amputations in Australia.
Cause: Diabetes is the leading cause, with rates four times higher than the national average.
Demographics: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the NT have a 38-times higher risk of amputation, and they are often younger and living in remote areas compared to non-Indigenous patients.
Location Impact: The Central Australia region has a high incidence, with 82% of Aboriginal patients requiring amputation living over 100km from the central town.
Amputation Types: 38% of amputations in Central Australia are partial foot, with a significant number of transtibial (below-knee) amputations.
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The statistics are not good in Australia
Did you know that there are more than 4,400 amputations every year in Australia as a result of diabetes? Around 85% of diabetes related amputations are preventable if wounds are detected early and managed appropriately.
What is the life expectancy of a person with an amputated leg?
Life expectancy after a lower-limb amputation is heavily influenced by the cause, with patients (often suffering from diabetes or peripheral vascular disease) having a high mortality risk. Mortality rates are severe: 13-40% within one year, increasing to 39-80% over five years. Median survival for geriatric patients can be as low as 1.5 years.
NT Health
How effective are existing programs to raise awareness and prevention in the Northern Territory?
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