Long-term outcome of severe stroke patients: Is the ADL status at discharge from a stroke center indicative of the long-term outcome?

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the possibility of predicting the long- term outcome of severe stroke patients from the ADL status at discharge. The design is a retrospective observational study in the stroke center at Tokushima University Hospital. Severe stroke patients at discharge with Barthel Index (BI) scores 40 (N=51) were divided into two subgroups retrospectively, improved and unimproved. The Functional Independ- ence Measure (FIM) and BI were analyzed at discharge, 3 and 6 months after onset. Cor- relation analysis between BI and FIM showed good correlation, especially between BI and motor FIM (mFIM). In conclusion, the ADL status at discharge from a stroke center is not definitely indicative of the long-term outcome, although good recovery of severe stroke cases was observed in males and younger patients, and in patients with motor FIM score 25. This result shows that the first 3 months after the attack should be regarded as an im- portant time window for intensive rehabilitation.