Specialized early treatment for persons with disorders of consciousness: program components and outcomes

To describe a specialized early treatment program for persons with disorders of consciousness (DOC) that includes family education; to identify rates of secondary conditions, imaging used, and selected interventions; and to evaluate outcomes.

A single-center, retrospective, pre-post design using electronic medical record data.

A Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities-accredited, long-term acute care hospital that provides acute medical and inpatient rehabilitation levels of care for people with catastrophic injuries.

Persons (N=210) aged 14 to 69 years with DOC of primarily traumatic etiology admitted at a mean ± SD of 41.0 ± 27.2 days postinjury; 2% were in coma, 41% were in the vegetative state, and 57% were in the minimally conscious state.

An acute medical level of care with ≥90 minutes of daily interdisciplinary rehabilitation and didactic and hands-on caretaking education for families.

Coma Recovery Scale-Revised, Modified Ashworth Scale, and discharge disposition.

Program admission medical acuity included dysautonomia (15%), airway modifications (79%), infections (eg, pneumonia, 16%; urinary tract infection, 14%; blood, 11%), deep vein thrombosis (17%), pressure ulcers (14%), and marked hypertonia (30% in each limb). There were 168 program interruptions (ie, 139 surgeries, 29 nonsurgical intensive care unit transfers). Mean length of stay ± SD was 39.1 ± 29.4 days (range, 6-204d). Patients showed improved consciousness and respiratory function and reduced presence or severity of pressure ulcers and upper extremity hypertonia. At discharge, 54% showed sufficient emergence from a minimally conscious state to transition to mainstream inpatient rehabilitation, and 29% did not emerge but were discharged home to family with ongoing programmatic support; only 13% did not emerge and were institutionalized.

Persons with DOC resulting primarily from a traumatic etiology who receive specialized early treatment that includes acute medical care and ≥90 minutes of daily rehabilitation are likely to show improved consciousness and body function; more than half may transition to mainstream inpatient rehabilitation. Families who receive comprehensive education and hands-on training with ongoing follow-up support may be twice as likely to provide care for medically stable persons with DOC in their homes versus nursing facility placement.