TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Self-inflicted traumatic bilateral upper extremity amputation as a suicidal gesture?
JO  - Curēus
A1  - Ogedegbe, Chinwe
A1  - Udongwo, Ndausung
A1  - Kalejaiye, Ayoola
A1  - Alshami, Abbas
A1  - Alfraji, Nasam
A1  - Spariousu, Magdalene
SP  - e17176
EP  - e17176
VL  - 13
IS  - 8
N2  - Traumatic amputations are partial or complete dismemberment of part of the human body (usually one limb) due to an injury that involves a component of blunt force trauma. It is usually caused by accidental events and only very rarely due to suicidal events. A 37-year-old female with major depressive disorder attempted suicide by placing her forearms on a railroad track, resulting in traumatic bilateral upper extremity amputations. Emergency Department resuscitation was initiated as the patient was taken immediately to the operating room; however, restoration of the limbs was unfeasible, and the patient had successful debriding and fashioning a flap to the distal ends of the upper extremities after hemostasis was achieved. Depression may still be an undertreated clinical entity in our society, and many preventable causes of suicide are attempted each year. Evidence exists that suggests severe suicide attempts occur generally in men and minor suicide attempts, or so-called suicidal gestures, occur generally in women. This case questions this notion.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2168-8184
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.17176
ID  - ref1
ER  -