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PubMed2004

Rehabilitation following hip fracture surgery: a comparative study of females and males.

PURPOSE: To compare patient, fracture and rehabilitation variables between male and female patients during the rehabilitation period immediately following surgical repair of hip fracture (HF). METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in a rehabilitation geriatric ward in a tertiary university hospital in southern Israel. The study group consisted of 808 elderly patients, 65 years of age or older, selected for hospitalized rehabilitation following surgery for HF. The measurements included functional studies by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scale, mental status by Folstein Minimental Test and Clock Drawing Test, Geriatric Depression Screening Scale (GDS), demographic and social parameters, laboratory tests, length of rehabilitation, complications and mortality during rehabilitation. RESULTS: Six hundred and fourteen patients (76%) were women and 194 (24%) were men. The mean age ( +/- SD) of the women was 78.4 +/- 7.1 years and of the men was 77.8 +/- 7.5 (NS). There were no significant differences between women and men in terms of the anatomic site of the fracture or the type of surgery, the complication rate or mortality during rehabilitation, the length of time needed for rehabilitation, the framework to which the patient was discharged, FIM values before the HF, on admission and at the end of rehabilitation, or the difference between FIM scores at these last two points in time. CONCLUSIONS: In selected elderly patients with HF gender does not affect variables associated with hip fracture, the rehabilitation process immediately following the fracture, or the results of rehabilitation.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rehabilitation outcomes of patients who have developed Guillain-Barré syndrome.

The objective of this study was to determine associations between early variables (requirement for ventilator support, anemia, indicators of abnormal peripheral nerve function (proprioception, vibratory, fine touch/pinprick, deep-tendon reflexes, cranial nerve involvement, dysautonomia, electrodiagnostic findings), plasmapheresis, age, and gender) and outcome variables (length of acute hospitalization, length of inpatient rehabilitation, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Rasch converted scores, and acute and rehabilitation charges) in Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS). The design of the study was a retrospective case review of 39 GBS admissions (as defined by National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke clinical criteria) to an inpatient rehabilitation unit at a university tertiary care rehabilitation center during a three-year period. The average length of stay for 39 patients requiring transfer to the inpatient rehabilitation unit (40% of all acute care GBS admissions) was 34 days in acute care and 26 days in rehabilitation. The average adjusted charges for inpatient rehabilitation (1993 dollars) was $31,636.28. Those who required ventilator support before rehabilitation v those who did not had an admission mean FIM Rasch converted motor score of 26.6 v a score of 38.3 (P = 0.0469), gained only 10.3 points on their FIM Rasch converted motor score v 27.7 points (P = 0.0001), and had a mean acute length of stay of 66.2 days v 19.3 days (P = 0.0029). Patients requiring ventilator support were more likely to have dysautonomia (P = 0.0009). Thirty-one of 39 patients with GBS (79%) had anemia. No correlation was found between hematocrit or hemoglobin and motor function recovery as assessed via the Rasch transformed FIM motor scores. There was an association between autonomic dysfunction and an increased acute care length of stay (P = 0.0325) and total length of hospital stay (P = 0.0203). Cranial nerve dysfunction resulted in an increase in the acute care length of stay (P = 0.0266), the total length of hospital stay (P = 0.0123), and adjusted hospital charges while undergoing inpatient rehabilitation (P = 0.0235). For patients with GBS necessitating admission to inpatient rehabilitation, the requirement of prior ventilator support most strongly predicts an extended length of stay for inpatient rehabilitation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Is global outcome predictable in the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal disorders? A pilot study.

Definition of prognostic factors for outcome quality is of increasing interest in rehabilitation medicine. The main question of this pilot study in 552 patients was whether global outcome could be predicted by a team-based chief physician specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR), and whether other predictive factors would exist (ICIDH-2 levels, pain, working incapacity). Little data is available about the possibility of global prediction of prognosis in the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal disorders. All 552 patients met each member of the rehabilitation team and key data from each patient was discussed at the rehabilitation conference within the first 2 days. On entry to the study, a chief physician specialized in PMR assessed the patient's key data, which was structured according to ICIDH-2 (ICF) and assessed quantitatively on a scale from zero to ten. Second, the PMR physician rated the expected global prognosis on the basis of ICIDH-2 and other key data, and in respect to the defined rehabilitation goals (see Table 2). At the same time, the patient and an assistant doctor (AD) assessed pain scores (VAS 0-10) and the actual working incapacity (%). These assessments were completed within the first 3 days and were repeated before discharge. Assessment of outcome was rated by both, separately, according to the above-mentioned scale. Different regression models were calculated, searching for significant differences between the numerous variables. In the regression models, the best predictor for outcome was the PMR physician assessment. Complete and good correspondence between prediction and outcome was obtained in 71.4% (42.1% and 29.3%, respectively) in the descriptive model. Quantitatively assessed ICIDH-2 levels, pain at entrance and working incapacity at entrance were not predictive factors for global outcome. The global outcome was rated as very good/good in 79.0% of cases by patient and in 75.1% cases by the AD, as moderate in 13.9% of cases by the patient and 18.4% of cases by the AD, and as poor/worsening in 7.1% of cases by the patient and in 6.5% of cases by the AD. Rating of outcome by the patient and the AD gave complete and good correspondence in 87.6% and no correspondence in only 2.6% of cases. Pain could be reduced highly significantly (P<0.001). There was a highly significant degree of correlation between quality of outcome and pain relief (outcome 'very good' and 'good', P<0.001; 'moderate', P=0.003; 'poor/worsening', not significant). Partial or complete reduction of working incapacity could be reached in 30% of the patients. This had no statistical influence on global outcome; neither did persistent working incapacity. Prediction of global outcome by a team-based PMR assessment seems to be a useful semiquantitative method with high predictive value. The method, including the critical point of validation, is currently being extensively discussed. Prediction is an integral process based on the high information grade of a multiprofessional rehabilitation team, the ICIDH-2 structures, the definition of rehabilitation goals, the knowledge and experience in bio-psycho-social medicine and the application of common sense. Rating of global outcome by the patient/AD is an integrative process as well. Pain relief is an important and very strong factor, with a high degree of influence on global outcome in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, probably by improving quality of life. Working incapacity is no reason for refusing patients rehabilitation and both improvement of working capacity and persistence of working incapacity, has no statistical influence on global outcome. Finally, the extent of the four ICIDH-2 levels, especially negative contextual factors, were not predictive, that is, they had no significant influence on global outcome in this study. In conclusion, prediction of global outcome by a team-based chief physician specialized in PMR is of high predictive value, practicable and useful for rehabilitation processes, quality assurance, insurance companies and health policies. To our knowledge, this is the first published study on this topic.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Predictors of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation utilization: the Minnesota Heart Surgery Registry.

BACKGROUND: A significant proportion of eligible patients do not participate in cardiac rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to document patterns of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation use and identify factors predicting its use. METHODS: The Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry of the Minnesota Heart Survey enrolled 3,841 patients admitted on suspicion of acute myocardial infarction (MI) to the coronary care units at six Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan hospitals. Participants were contacted 1 year after index hospitalization and asked if they participated in cardiac rehabilitation since discharge. RESULTS: Among those discharged with a MI, 47% participated in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation or an exercise program at an exercise facility, home, or both during the 1-year follow-up period. Among those discharged with angina, 21% attended cardiac rehabilitation. Usage increased when cardiac revascularization procedures were performed during the index hospitalization. Women with an angina or MI diagnosis were significantly less likely to use cardiac rehabilitation than men. Older patients were also less likely to use rehabilitation, with gender difference persisting across age strata. As education increased, cardiac rehabilitation utilization increased. Those not employed were less likely to use cardiac rehabilitation services. The strongest independent predictors of cardiac rehabilitation utilization were age and revascularization procedures (coronary artery bypass grafting or coronary angioplasty), simultaneously adjusting for demographic information, and cardiovascular disease risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that there is a disparity in cardiac rehabilitation utilization with lower rates among women, older individuals, those with less education, and the unemployed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiac rehabilitation participation patterns in a large, tertiary care center: evidence for selection bias.

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines have been published for cardiac rehabilitation, directing programs to address secondary risk-reduction issues. The role of risk factor profiles in the referral of patients to cardiac rehabilitation programs has not been evaluated. METHODS: Patients from the Cardiovascular Information Registry at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) who entered the CCF hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation program (n = 371) were compared with those who did not participate in the CCF program (n = 2960) with respect to gender, demographics, and risk factor profile for CAD. A random subset of those who did not participate in the CCF program (n = 100) was interviewed by phone to determine participation patterns in other rehabilitation programs. RESULTS: Only 11% of patients participated in CCF-based program. Standard risk factors were similar between participants and nonparticipants. Rehabilitation patients were younger (63 +/- 10 versus 66 +/- 10, P < 0.01) and as a group had better left ventricular function (moderate-severe left ventricle: 16% versus 23%, P < 0.01) than nonparticipants. Women were underrepresented in the CCF rehabilitation population (20% versus 30%, P < 0.01). Of the phone survey sample, 21% of patients entered other community-based rehabilitation programs. Similar trends with respect to risk factors, younger age, and better left ventricular function were noted for the community subset. However, women accounted for a greater percentage of the participants in the community programs than the CCF-based program (42.8% versus 19.7%, P < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions based on institution-specific programs likely underestimate overall participation in cardiac rehabilitation. Traditional risk factors apparently are not considered when referring patients to cardiac rehabilitation programs. Younger patients with lower mortality risks preferentially participate in rehabilitation programs. Women are more likely to participate in community-based programs. Overall use of cardiac rehabilitation programs remains low.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Long term adherence to dietary recommendations after inpatient rehabilitation: prospective follow up study of patients with coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the adherence to nutritional recommendations in inpatient rehabilitation and the long term maintenance of dietary changes among patients with coronary heart disease. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Two rehabilitation clinics in Germany. PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of 1206 patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation after an acute manifestation of coronary heart disease. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self reported dietary intake before, during, and one and three years after rehabilitation measured with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and summarised to a nutritional index, which was used to categorise patients as having a poor, fair, or good diet. RESULTS: During rehabilitation the proportion of patients whose dietary intake was categorised as good increased strongly from 30% to 91%. One and three years after rehabilitation a still increased proportion of 49% and 42%, respectively, in the good category was observed. The strong increase in intake of low fat and wholemeal products that was achieved during rehabilitation was followed after rehabilitation discharge by a backslide to the intake observed before rehabilitation admission. The avoidance of unfavourable food items, such as French fries or eggs, was at least partly maintained during the follow up period. CONCLUSION: During inpatient rehabilitation most patients do have to make major changes in their dietary intake to comply with recommendations. Although some proportion of patients continue to adhere to dietary recommendations in the long run, further research into strategies to improve maintenance of dietary changes is needed to enhance further the long term benefits from cardiac rehabilitation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A Canadian, multicentre, randomized clinical trial of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: rationale and methods.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary rehabilitation remains largely underused. Self-monitored, home-based rehabilitation is a promising approach to improving the availability of pulmonary rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To report the rationale and methods of a trial comparing the effectiveness of self-monitored, home-based rehabilitation with hospital-based, outpatient rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). STUDY DESIGN: A parallel-group, randomized, noninferiority, multicentre trial will be performed with 240 patients with moderate to severe COPD. INTERVENTION: Patients will be randomly assigned to conventional, supervised, hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation or self-monitored, home-based rehabilitation. Both interventions will include a standardized, comprehensive self-management program, in addition to the hospital-based outpatient or home-based exercise program. After the three-month intervention, patients in both groups will be encouraged to continue exercising at home. Patients will be assessed monthly with telephone interviews and in person at enrollment, three months and 12 months. OUTCOMES: The dyspnea domain of the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) at 12 months is the primary outcome variable. Secondary outcome variables include total and domain-specific CRQ scores; exercise tolerance and activity of daily living; health service use over the one-year study period; and direct and indirect costs of COPD treatment. ANALYSIS: An intent-to-treat approach will be used as the primary analysis. The primary analysis will focus on the change in the CRQ dyspnea score using a two-sided t distribution based on 95% CIs. The same approach will be used for secondary continuous outcome variables. CONCLUSION: The present trial will address two unresolved issues in pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with COPD: the short-term and long-term effectiveness of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation strategies. The authors will also determine if home-based pulmonary rehabilitation can reduce health service use (eg, hospitalizations and emergency visits) and if it can be done at a lower cost than the traditional hospital-based outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Prospective randomized trial comparing bilateral lung volume reduction surgery to pulmonary rehabilitation in severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Several uncontrolled studies report improvement in lung function, gas exchange, and exercise capacity after bilateral lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). We recruited 200 patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for a prospective randomized trial of pulmonary rehabilitation versus bilateral LVRS with stapling resection of 20 to 40% of each lung. Pulmonary function tests, gas exchange, 6-min walk distance, and symptom-limited maximal exercise testing were done in all patients at baseline and after 8 wk of rehabilitation. Patients were then randomized to either 3 additional months of rehabilitation or LVRS. Thirty-seven patients met study criteria and were enrolled into the trial. Eighteen patients were in the medical arm; 15 of 18 patients completed 3 mo of additional pulmonary rehabilitation. Thirty-two patients underwent LVRS (19 in the surgical arm, 13 crossover from the medical arm). After 8 wk of pulmonary rehabilitation, pulmonary function tests remained unchanged compared with baseline data. However, there was a trend toward a higher 6-min walk distance (285 +/- 96 versus 269 +/- 91 m, p = 0.14) and total exercise time on maximal exercise test was significantly longer compared with baseline values (7.4 +/- 2.1 versus 5.8 +/- 1.7 min, p < 0.001). In 15 patients who completed 3 mo of additional rehabilitation, there was a trend to a higher maximal oxygen consumption (V O(2)max) (13.3 +/- 3.0 versus 12.6 +/- 3.3, p < 0.08). In contrast, at 3 mo post-LVRS, FVC (2.79 +/- 0.59 versus 2.36 +/- 0.55 L, p < 0.001) and FEV(1) (0.85 +/- 0.3 versus 0.65 +/- 0.16 L, p < 0.005) increased whereas TLC (6.53 +/- 1.3 versus 7.65 +/- 2.1 L, p < 0.001) and residual volume (RV) (3.7 +/- 1.2 versus 4.9 +/- 1.1 L, p < 0.001) decreased when compared with 8 wk postrehabilitation data. In addition, Pa(CO(2)) decreased significantly 3 mo post-LVRS compared with 8 wk postrehabilitation. Six-minute walk distance (6MWD), total exercise time, and V O(2)max were higher after LVRS but did not reach statistical significance. However, when 13 patients who crossed over from the medical to the surgical arm were included in the analysis, the increases in 6MWD (337 +/- 99 versus 282 +/- 100 m, p < 0.001) and V O(2)max (13.8 +/- 4 versus 12.0 +/- 3 ml/kg/min, p < 0.01) 3 mo post-LVRS were highly significant when compared with postrehabilitation data. The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), a generalized measure of quality of life (QOL), was significantly improved after 8 wk of rehabilitation and was maintained after 3 mo of additional rehabilitation. A further improvement in QOL was observed 3 mo after LVRS compared with the initial improvement gained after 8 wk of rehabilitation. There were 3 (9.4%) postoperative deaths, and one patient died before surgery (2.7%). We conclude that bilateral LVRS, in addition to pulmonary rehabilitation, improves static lung function, gas exchange, and QOL compared with pulmonary rehabilitation alone. Further studies need to evaluate the risks, benefits, and durability of LVRS over time.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1983

Evaluation of cardiac rehabilitation in relation to prognosis.

We designed a rehabilitation program for patients with post-myocardial infarction by modifying the 14-step program of Emory University into a more suitable form for a Japanese. The usefulness of this rehabilitation program was evaluated by comparing the clinical course of our patients with that of the patients in our affiliated institutions, where patients had no systematic rehabilitation therapy. The following results were obtained: 1) Most patients of the rehabilitation-completed group were living a non-restricted life 6 months after discharge. The life style of the rehabilitation group even including the rehabilitation-non-completed group, was far better than that of the non-rehabilitation group. 2) Many patients of the rehabilitation group were working at the same job as before infarction 3 years after discharge, while a substantial number of the patients of the non-rehabilitation group had changed their job or retired within 3 years after discharge. 3) The reason for changing job or retiring was primarily subjective symptoms or objective findings in the rehabilitation-completed group, while it was mostly fear in the non-rehabilitation group. 4) Patients who could not complete our program were mainly old patients of over 70 years of age, patients with extensive anterior infarction and subendocardial infarction and ones with complications such as shock and cardiac failure.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Functional rehabilitation of the cruciate-deficient knee.

'Functional rehabilitation' is an embellishment of the traditional concepts of rehabilitation which are motion and strength. Functional rehabilitation incorporates the concepts of agility, proprioception, and finally the confidence of the individual when performing whatever task he or she wishes to undertake. The determinants of rehabilitation include the patient, the type of injury the knee has sustained as well as its surgical treatment, and how innovative the director of rehabilitation is. The principles of rehabilitation include joint motion and stability as well as muscular endurance and strength. These should be considered during the immobilisation phase, the surgical and postsurgical phase, and continued through the early healing, late healing and final healing stages. The rehabilitation director must advance activity to levels of ever increasing complexity. Various modalities of rehabilitation such as bracing, passive motion machines and muscle stimulation units should be added in an effort to achieve a painless course. This course is progressive as long as errors of rehabilitation are avoided, including overtraining and too rapid a progression resulting in injury or reinjury. Realistic goals must be firmly established in the mind of the patient and the director at the outset. Determinants of rehabilitation are a guide to the reality of reaching a functional level. The functional activity programme depends upon knee stability, successful completion of lesser activities and healing of the injury or the surgery. Progressing from less difficult to more difficult activities before the patient is ready usually results in an injury or reinjury. Therefore, constant assessment of the performance level of the patient must be made before advancing to more demanding activities. Conservative and surgical treatment programmes for functional rehabilitation are essentially the same except for the time factors involved. The times of completion of different levels of activity are generally longer in the surgical programme. Time alone is not the signal for advancement from one programme to another. Attention should be paid to range of motion, strength, fluidity of performance of functional activities as well as functional testing.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Rehabilitation after stroke in patients with diabetes mellitus].

Diabetes mellitus is not only one of the fundamental risk factors for stroke, but it may also constitute a significant impediment and limitation of rehabilitation process in diabetic patients after stroke. Insufficiently controlled diabetes or insufficient insulin therapy inadequately carried out, especially during the period of acute cerebrovascular complications, may increase the risk of repeated stroke or increase the size of ischaemic area. In patients suffering from diabetes the course of stroke is more severe, cerebral oedema appears more often and mortality is higher. In the present paper methods of rehabilitation and results achieved in a group of patients with stroke and a group of patients with stroke and diabetes mellitus are described, as well as effects of rehabilitation in both those groups. Fifty one (20%), out of 251 patients with cerebral stroke in the past who were rehabilitated in a Rehabilitation Department in 1997, had diabetes mellitus lasting, on average, 21 years. Individual rehabilitation programme for each patient was arranged collectively, taking into consideration restrictions necessary in the course of diabetes, including education of patients. Multidirectional assessment of initial condition and condition after termination of the rehabilitation was carried out taking into consideration the scale of lesions (the Brunnstrom stages), functional scales and the quality of life index (the Barthel index). More objective parameters, i.e. the index of symmetry of loading of lower extremities and walking speed, were also applied. All the patients with both stroke and diabetes mellitus completed the planned rehabilitation programme, although the initial condition of patients with concomitant diabetes was worse than that of patients with stroke only, as far as most of the applied parameters of assessment were concerned. Also improvement achieved in diabetic patients was not observed in each of the parameters examined and differed from that achieved in the group of patients with stroke alone. We found, that in-hospital rehabilitation of patients with stroke and concomitant diabetes mellitus (even long lasting) resulted in a measurable and significant improvement of their condition evaluated multidirectionally, and that diabetes mellitus coexisting with stroke is not a contraindication to in-hospital rehabilitation. In patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus significant disturbances of during the rehabilitation were not found course diabetes mellitus. However they all required meticulous care and monitoring of carbohydrate metabolism, and the average time of their hospitalisation was longer by about 3 days.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Value and practice of in-home "low-vision" rehabilitation in Rhone-Alp region of France].

INTRODUCTION: To demonstrate the interest of patient's home orthoptist deplacement to realize an in-home low-vision rehabilitation and encourage orthoptists to integrate this task in their usual work methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-five consecutive patients coming from a private ophthalmic rehabilitation Center and needing low-vision rehabilitation, were studied. The exercises used at patient's home were usually the same as those used in the rehabilitation Center. The choice in the organization of rehabilitation was always function of patient general health, people vicinity, and social context. RESULTS: Among the 85 patients, 60 (70.6%) were rehabilitated only in the ophthalmic Center, 11 (12.9%) could have a low-vision rehabilitation only thanks to the organization of the home's patient rehabilitation and 14 (16.5%) were both rehabilitated at the ophthalmic Center and, in the patient's home, some training was necessary too. The reasons for in-home low-vision rehabilitation were mainly represented by isolation problems, mobilisation physical capacities, but also, home installation conditions making difficult to realize the orthoptist recommendations. DISCUSSION: Besides some disadvantages: time-consuming, badly paid, decrease of efficiency in familiar environment, advantages are easily objected: ergonomy, training on optic systems, and psychological comfort. CONCLUSION: In-home low-vision rehabilitation is represented by the necessity of correctly taking care of each patient. It is an answer to a social demand and must be an integral part of low-vision orthoptist work.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Geriatric rehabilitation as an integral part of geriatric medicine in the nordic countries.].

OBJECTIVE: Firstly to outline the theoretical and practical framework for geriatric rehabilitation in Iceland and other Nordic countries and secondly to survey the scientific medical publications for evidence based geriatric rehabilitation. METHODS: Brain storming on geriatric rehabilitation in a working group of Nordic teachers in geriatric medicine. Papers on scientific programs for geriatric rehabilitation from Internet sources were collected and analyzed. All articles describing randomized studies in geriatric rehabilitation were selected for overview. The papers were divided into four groups according to diseases, infirmity and resource settings; 1) stroke, 2) hip-fractures, 3) acute admissions and 4) programs conducted in nursing homes, day hospitals and home services. RESULTS: A spectrum of biological and social events creates the conditions underlying most causes for illness and disability in old people. The process of established geriatric services promotes the efficiency of geriatric rehabilitation. The literature survey included 27 scientific studies (8586 patients) on randomized studies with valid endpoints. Geriatric rehabilitation programs for stroke patients in geriatric settings, six studies (1138 patients), reduced mortality and the need for nursing home placement but the outcome for ADL. Function and length of stay was more variable between the studies. The outcome of geriatric rehabilitation was even more decisive in the randomized hip-fracture studies, six studies (2171 patients). Eight studies were found comparing the outcome between acute admission of frail elderly to either geriatric (GEMU, GRU) or general medical wards. The outcome as regards to mortality rate at one year, placement to a nursing home, physical function, contentment with services, readmission rate and cost was all significantly better in the geriatric settings. Internal comparisons of geriatric programs in nursing homes, day hospitals and in home service, seven studies (1261 patient), revealed some differences in outcomes in function, contentment and costs. CONCLUSIONS: Specialized geriatric rehabilitation is complicated but effective when properly performed. Interdisciplinary teamwork, targeting of patients, comprehensive assessment and intensive and patient-targeted rehabilitation seem to characterize the most effective programs. Rehabilitation of frail elderly people poses a major challenge for the future and has to be developed further for the sake of quality of life of elderly people as well as for economic reasons.

English Abstract↗
PubMed2006

[Physical and chemical properties of soil bio-crust on rehabilitated grassland in hilly Loess Plateau of China].

Soil bio-crust (SBC) plays an important role in degraded ecosystem restoration. The field investigation and laboratory analysis of SBC on different year rehabilitated grasslands at the north slope of hilly Loess Plateau showed that after cropland shifted to rehabilitated grassland, rainfall- induced structural crust appeared firstly, and then, with the increasing year of rehabilitation, crust- forming microorganism gradually settled in, and SBC developed. The depth of SBC increased in inverse "S" shape with increasing year of rehabilitation. 10 years after rehabilitation, the increase of SBC depth slowed down, and soil bulk density decreased from 1.4 g x cm(-3) to 1.1 g x cm(-3). SBC formation improved soil cohesion significantly, and the latter was increased in inverse "S" shape with increasing year of rehabilitation. The organic matter and total nitrogen contents in SBC were obviously higher than those in cropland, and increased gradually with increasing year of rehabilitation but tended to be stable after 10 years of rehabilitation. The available N, P and K contents in SBC were also increased, but no significant difference of total phosphorus was found between SBC and cropland soil. The formation of SBC in test region could be classified into 3 stages, i. e., the first stage named the beginning of the formation, which was from 1 to 4 years of grassland rehabilitation, the second stage named the rapid development period, which was from 5 to 10 years of the rehabilitation, and the third stage named stable period after 10 years of rehabilitation.

China↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiac rehabilitation services in Ireland: the impact of a coordinated national development strategy.

BACKGROUND: The national Cardiovascular Health Strategy including specific plans for cardiac rehabilitation was launched in Ireland in 1999. A survey of cardiac rehabilitation services was conducted in 2003 to evaluate progress on service provision. AIM: To establish levels of service provision, service formats and geographic distribution of cardiac rehabilitation services in 2003 and compare them with the status pre-Strategy (1998). METHOD: All hospitals in Ireland (n = 39) admitting cardiac patients to a coronary or intensive care unit were surveyed by postal questionnaire. RESULTS: All hospitals provided information and all reported providing Phase I cardiac rehabilitation. Seventy-seven per cent (30 of 39) provided Phase III rehabilitation in 2003 (i.e. outpatient cardiac rehabilitation services) compared with 29% (12 of 41) in 1998. Of those hospitals currently without programmes, 78% (seven of nine) had plans in place for programme establishment. All programmes had trained cardiac rehabilitation coordinators, multidisciplinary teams and multiple components as recommended in the Strategy. In 82% of hospitals, intervention was provided at Phase II (immediate post-discharge period) while 26% of hospitals provided intervention at Phase IV (long-term maintenance period). CONCLUSIONS: There have been substantial achievements towards the Cardiovascular Health Strategy target of providing cardiac rehabilitation services for all relevant hospitals in Ireland over the past five years. Service provision of cardiac rehabilitation can benefit from collective efforts made across centres to encourage the prioritisation of cardiac rehabilitation in national health policy initiatives.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMed2000

Neurological rehabilitation nursing: a review of the research.

Neurological rehabilitation is increasingly seen as a specialist form of rehabilitation requiring specialist nursing knowledge. However, as in many areas of nursing, nurses in this field recognize that there is a need to increase their knowledge base to ensure that they provide the best and most up-to-date quality care for their patients and their families. To achieve high levels of competence, neurological rehabilitation nurses need to be aware of the existing body of research in this field so that they can make sound decisions regarding their practice and future research endeavours. This review aims to validate the existing knowledge base in this area by identifying and critically analysing research conducted in the area of neurological rehabilitation nursing during the decade 1988-1998 and by identifying any gaps and weaknesses that may be addressed by future research. Studies were included in the review if they examined an aspect of rehabilitation nursing, were concerned predominately with the neurological patient and were conducted in an in-patient setting. Research with a medical focus was not included and only research published in English was reviewed. Relevant research located examined the following areas: (1) the role of the rehabilitation nurse; (2) specific problems concerning the neurological rehabilitation patient; (3) specific nursing interventions; (4) rehabilitation nursing practice; (5) the delivery of rehabilitation programmes and team working; and (6) the family of the rehabilitation patient. The review concludes that research in this speciality remains limited both in quantity and quality. Most of the studies lack rigour and, because they were conducted at a single site, their generalizability to other clinical sites may be limited.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed2001

Comparing stroke rehabilitation outcomes between acute inpatient and nonintense home settings.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes in stroke survivors who received rehabilitation services in an acute inpatient rehabilitation setting (multidisciplinary rehabilitation team) with outcomes in survivors in a home-based setting (family caregivers, limited team supervision). DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial, with mean follow-up after 60 days. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation setting and home-based settings. PATIENTS: Sixty patients (age range, 43-80yr) who had a stroke between 1996 and 1999 and had been referred after medical stabilization, randomly divided into 2 groups: group 1, inpatient rehabilitation; group 2, home-based rehabilitation. INTERVENTIONS: Group 1: therapeutical and neuromuscular exercises with occupational therapy with professional supervision; group 2: conventional exercises with family caregiver and limited professional supervision. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Spasticity was evaluated with the Ashworth Scale, motor status with Brunnstrom's stages, functional status with the FIM instrument, and cognitive status with the Mini-Mental State Examination before and after rehabilitation. RESULTS: Patients rehabilitated in acute inpatient settings had better motor, functional, and cognitive outcomes (p < .05). Spasticity changes did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Intense inpatient rehabilitation services for stroke survivors provide significantly more favorable functional and cognitive outcomes with relatively low complications than did nonintense rehabilitation efforts in home settings.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

[Development of guidelines for rehabilitation of patients with stroke: analysis of therapeutic procedures].

The Federal Insurance Institute for Salaried Employees (BfA, Bundesversicherungsanstalt für Angestellte) in Berlin took the initiative to develop evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation including stroke rehabilitation. In the present study we performed a systematic survey of the scientific literature on stroke rehabilitation and deduced 8 evidence-based therapeutic modules. They were supplemented by 5 practice-based modules to cover the full range of interventions currently applied in stroke rehabilitation. Modules are clusters of various interventions which were aggregated according to the rehabilitative goal they have in common. Data were analysed from 8,876 BfA patients, the total population of "neuro"-patients in 2001 and 2002 with 142,951 interventions and 1,071,885 appointments. Stroke diagnoses covered ICD-10 codes I60, I61, I62, I63, I64 or were coded by G45, G81 and one of these I-codes. Stroke rehabilitation as provided in daily practice was found to be a complex multimodal treatment programme in all hospitals which were studied. On average, patients receive treatments from 7.3 therapeutic modules. A dominating role is played by "motor modules". Obviously, they play a major role in acute stroke rehabilitation in all hospitals compared to cognitive retraining, language therapy and especially improvement of psychic functions, which were significantly less applied. A dramatic variation could be shown to exist between the rehabilitation hospitals (1) with respect to the number of patients who were treated with a given module (e. g., some modules showed variations between 18 % and 100 %), and (2) with respect to treatment intensity and treatment duration per week. Several factors can be taken into account for interpretation of this high variance. Intrinsically, the high variation in symptomatology after stroke can play a major role, as both the deficit profile and the level of severity of a given deficit and the combined severity level can vary from patient to patient. On the other hand, extrinsic factors such as lack of staff may also account for some of the differences. In any case, the results show the necessity to optimize stroke rehabilitation by development and implementation of guidelines. Yet, they also point to a need for further research into rehabilitation interventions and procedures to yield evidence for the approximately 30 % of "only" practice-based interventions.

Adult↗