[Rehabilitation of anoxic brain injured patients after reanimation]

Authors report rehabilitation outcomes of anoxic brain injured patients, following reanimation. In the past 12 years (1988-1999) they treated 54 patients. The patients were selected from other hospitals after successful reanimation, but sustained diffuse anoxic brain injury. The CT and MR examination was generally negative, but small hypodensities were shown rarely (18/54). At the time of admission 21 patients were quadriparetic, 5 patients were hemiparetic, 2 were paraparetic and there were no any paresis in 26 cases. The mean age of the patients was 32 years (7-61). At the time of admission 31 patients were dependent in basic activities of daily living, the mean Barthel Index score was 15 (0-100) but at the time of discharge it was 45 (0-100). 41 patients were discharged into their home and 13 patients had to be transmitted to another hospital for further treating, but later 5 of them died. At the time of discharge only 7 patients had score 100 of the Barthel Index, but they were not able for independent living. Family support, mainly guidance was necessary. Memory deficits, apraxia, attention disturbance, ataxia were the main problems during the rehabilitation process.