Benefit of inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation up to 1 year after stroke

Abstract

Yagura H, Miyai I, Seike Y, Suzuki T, Yanagihara T. Benefit of inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation up to 1 year after stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003;84:1687–91. Objective To analyze the benefit of inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation up to 1 year after stroke. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Japan. Participants A total of 1056 patients with stroke were divided into 3 groups based on the interval between stroke onset and admission to the rehabilitation hospital: group I, within 90 days (n=507, 48%); group II, 91 to 180 days (n=377, 36%); and group III, more than 180 days (n=172, 16%). Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Functional outcome (A to D; independent to totally dependent) in walking, affected upper extremity, and activities of daily living (ADLs) and discharge disposition. Results Walking status improved in 70.9% of nonambulatory patients in group I, in 54.8% in group II, and in 43.9% in group III. Similarly, ADLs improved in 66.7% of the totally dependent patients in group I and in approximately 50% in groups II and III. Functional gain in those with a totally nonfunctional upper extremity at admission was poor (29.7%). Initial functional categories affected each outcome ( P<.0001). On discharge, 73.8% in group I and approximately 60% in groups II and III went home. Conclusion Approximately half of all patients regained their abilities in walking and ADLs after inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation up to 1 year after stroke. However, there was considerable limitation in functional recovery of the affected upper extremity.