[Stroke rehabilitation outcome in an inpatient neurological rehabilitation unit]

To examine the rehabilitation outcome of patients who have suffered a stroke and subsequently received priority rehabilitation in hospital inpatient care, with a focus on changes in functional status.

Retrospective descriptive study. Functional impairment was measured at admission and discharge using the Barthel Index and the Functional Independence Measure scale. The subjects of the study were patients admitted to the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit of the National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation for inpatient rehabilitation with a stroke diagnosis between January 1 and December 31, 2018.

Eighty-six stroke patients were treated in 2018 at the unit. Data were available for 82 patients (35 women and 47 men). Fifty-nine patients with acute stroke participated at primary rehabilitation and 23 patients with chronic stroke were involved in secondary rehabilitation. Ischaemic stroke was diagnosed in 39 cases and haemorrhagic stroke in 20. Patients were admitted for rehabilitation on the mean of 36th day (range: 8-112) after stroke and length of stay at rehabilitation unit was 84 days (14-232). The mean age of the patients was 56 years (range 22-88). Speech and language therapist treatment was necessary for 26 patients with aphasia, for 11 patients with dysarthria, and for 12 dysphagic patients. Neuropsychologic examination and training was necessary at 31 patients, severe neglect was found in 9 cases, ataxia was found in 14 cases. As a result of rehabilitation Barthel Index changed from 32 to 75, and the FIM scale from 63 to 97. At the end of the rehabilitation the majority (83%) of the stroke patients could be discharged to home, 64% became independent in daily living activities, and 73% of them regained the ability to walk.

The rehabilitation of stroke patients transferred from the acute wards who received priority rehabilitation was successful as a result of the rehabilitation activities carried out in the ward as part of a multidisciplinary team approach. The successful rehabilitation of patients with above average functional impairment from the acute ward is attributed to almost 40 years of experience and well-organised multidisciplinary teamwork.