[Dynamics of the incidence of major amputations and mortality rates in peripheral arterial diseases over 1993-2007: findings of a population-based study].

Analysed were a total of 17,695 cases of hospital admission of patients presenting with arterial insufficiency of extremities, complications of diabetes mellitus, ulcers and necroses of the lower limbs, including 11,773 cases of hospitalization of patients diagnosed with peripheral artery diseases according to ICD-9 (till 1998) or ICD-10 (commencing from 1999) over the periods from 1993-1997 (period 1), 1998-2002 (period 2) and 2003-2007 (period 3). The correlation dependence was studied using the Pearson criterion, with the statistical significance of differences between the relative incidence of the parameters being calculated by means of the chi-square (chi2) test. The obtained findings showed a decrease in the number of amputees, the incidence of lethal outcomes and mortality rates, being most significant in the group of patients under 60 years of age. There was an inverse correlation between the above measures and the indices of the number of operations on the arteries performed in grade IV limb ischaemia.