• PM R · Feb 2009

    Length of stay in rehabilitation is associated with admission neurologic deficit and discharge destination.

    • Douglas Elwood, Ira Rashbaum, Jaclyn Bonder, Austin Pantel, Jeffrey Berliner, Steve Yoon, Mike Purvin, Moshe Ben-Roohi, and Amit Bansal.
    • Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA. elwood01@nyumc.org
    • PM R. 2009 Feb 1; 1 (2): 147-51.

    ObjectiveThis study explores the link between neurologic deficit as measured by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and its relationship to length of stay (LOS) and discharge destination.DesignA retrospective chart review was completed of 54 patients admitted for rehabilitation after experiencing a cerebrovascular accident.SettingThe study was completed in an acute inpatient rehabilitation stroke unit in a large urban tertiary care medical center.ParticipantsPatients were included in this analysis if their record contained an NIHSS score on both admission and discharge, if they had neuroimaging documentation of an acute hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, and if they were not transferred away from the rehabilitation unit during their stay. Of 54 cases reviewed, 47 were ultimately included.Main Outcome MeasurementsIndependent variables included were NIHSS admission and discharge scores, change in score from admission to discharge, discharge destination, age, gender, type of stroke, and use of tissue plasminogen activator. These were examined against the dependent variable, LOS.ResultsGreater admission NIHSS scores predicted longer hospital stays. Mean admission and discharge scores were significantly greater for patients discharged to subacute facilities, and LOS was also longer for these patients compared with those discharged to the community. Surprisingly, age was inversely related to LOS, admission score, and discharge score.ConclusionStroke remains one of the most common reasons for admission to acute care hospitals. The authors know of no studies that have examined the rehabilitation aspect of care incorporating the NIHSS in this manner. This study draws a connection between neurologic impairment by using the NIHSS and LOS and discharge destination in an acute inpatient rehabilitation stroke unit. In the future, multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams may consider using this measure to predict LOS and disposition at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.

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