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Interruptions to amputee rehabilitation
Ben Meikle1, Michael Devlin, Susan Garfinkel
1Division of Physiatry, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont, Canada.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|September 18, 2002
Summary
Interruptions in amputee rehabilitation are common, often due to stump healing or medical issues, and increase length of stay but do not impact outcomes for those completing therapy.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Amputee Care
Background:
- Amputee rehabilitation is crucial for restoring function after limb loss.
- Interruptions can disrupt the continuity of care and potentially affect outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of interruptions in inpatient amputee rehabilitation.
- To identify causes, risk factors, and consequences of these interruptions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 254 consecutive patients undergoing inpatient amputee rehabilitation.
- Analysis of patient demographics, medical history, amputation details, and functional outcomes.
Main Results:
- Interruptions occurred in 30% of patients, primarily due to impaired stump healing (18%) and acute medical illness (10%).
- Female gender, peripheral vascular disease, and shorter time from amputation to admission were associated with higher interruption rates.
- Patients with interruptions had longer rehabilitation length of stay (LOS) but similar functional discharge outcomes if they completed rehabilitation.
Conclusions:
- Interruptions to amputee rehabilitation are frequent and extend LOS.
- Completing rehabilitation after an interruption does not appear to negatively impact functional outcomes.
- No specific patient subgroup with an exceptionally high incidence of interruption was identified.