Rehabilitation outcome of Turkish stroke patients: in a team approach setting

The aim of this study was to identify the efficacy of in-patient stroke rehabilitation, to evaluate the relationship between clinical characteristics and functional outcome, and to determine factors predicting functional outcome at discharge in Turkish stroke patients with a team approach. Retrospective data were collected from 102 of 116 patients with first stroke who were admitted to our rehabilitation unit at Ankara University. Demographic data, length of hospital stay (LOHS), onset to admission interval (OAI), type, side and location of stroke lesion, and most common medical complications were recorded. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Brunnstrom's motor recovery stages (BMRS) were assessed on admission and at discharge. The mean age was 61.6 +/- 10.9 years and the mean LOHS was 69.7 +/- 28.2 days. The mean FIM total scores were 69.2 +/- 27.4 and 83.2 +/- 25.7 on admission, and at discharge, respectively. The mean FIM total score was significantly correlated to age, LOHS and motor recovery. The FIM total scores of patients with aphasia and depression were found to be lower than those of patients without aphasia and depression. In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, FIM total score on admission, age and OAI were found to be valid predictors of FIM total score at discharge. Functional Independence Measure total score on admission was the strongest variable. Our results suggest that knowledge of the poor prognostic factors effecting functional outcome on admission can provide information to clinicians in identifying severity of stroke. Admission FIM total score, can be used to predict the patients' functional recovery. Advanced age, aphasia and post-stroke depression contribute to lower FIM scores.