Anoxic Encephalopathy: Outcome After Inpatient Rehabilitation

Abstract

To determine the functional outcome following acute rehabilitation for anoxic en cephalopathy using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Background: Patients with anoxic encephalopathy are reported in the literature to have poor functional outcome. However, there are few existing studies that use stan dardized functional measures to assess functional gains in anoxic patients during in patient rehabilitation. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of 34 consecutive patients with the primary diagnosis of cerebral anoxia admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation unit. The criteria for admission to the rehabilitation unit were wakefulness and ability to follow one step commands. Outcome measures included discharge residence and the FIM score. Results: Of 34 patients, 26 had sufficient data for inclusion. Discharge FIM scores were significantly improved over admission FIM (p = < 0.0001) for all categories. FIM efficiency score was 0.45 (mean [FIMdis FIMadm]/mean LOS). Seventy-six per cent (20 patients) were discharged home, four patients were transferred, to nursing home care, one patient was transferred to an acute, hospital for unrelated medical ill ness, and one patient was sent to long-term rehabilitation. Conclusion: Patients with anoxic encephalopathy experience significant functional improvement during inpatient rehabilitation. These results are compared to other brain injury populations, and clinical implications are discussed. © 1997, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.