Affiliations: [a] 2nd Department of Neurology, Rehabilitation Ward, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland
| [b] Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Centre for Preclinical Research and Technology (CePT), Warsaw, Poland
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Anna Czlonkowska, 2nd Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Sobieskiego 9, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. Tel.: +48 22 842 76 83/+48 22 458 25 37; Fax: +48 22 842 40 23; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Post-stroke rehabilitation should begin immediately and continue while improvement is seen. After stroke, patients are at risk of developing medical complications, which can hinder optimal recovery. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the incidence of complications occurring during early inpatient rehabilitation and to assess their influence on patients’ functionality. METHODS: For 1075 patients (585 men), we recorded neurological deficits, activities of everyday living, functionality before and after rehabilitation, and the incidence of complications. The main measure of functional outcome was the discharge Barthel Index score. RESULTS: At least one complication was reported by 76.9% of patients, and 20% experienced three or more complications. The most common problems were: urinary tract infection (23.2%), depression (18.9%), falls (17.9%), unstable hypertension (17.6%), and shoulder pain (14.9%). Patients with a severe discharge disability were 2.5-fold more likely to experience complications than subjects with a mild disability. CONCLUSIONS: Complications during the post stroke rehabilitation process had a significantly decreased chance for improvement. Knowledge of the most common type of complications, as well as their early prevention and treatment, may improve patient outcomes.
