Medical complications during neurological rehabilitation : a prospective study

Abstract EN

Study Design: Prospective study between ]"' January 1995 to 31" December 1999.

Objective: To document medical complications among subjects with disorders of nervous system during inpatient rehabilitation.

Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation unit of a tertiary care university hospital for neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry in south India.

Methods: Persons with Neurological disorders admitted for inpatient rehabilitation were included in the study.

All complications requiring medical consultation, investigation and treatment and/or resulting in absence from a scheduled therapy sessions, were documented.

Disability was quantified using Barthel index.

Results: During the period of the study, 335 men and 253 women were admitted to neurological rehabilitation wards.

Number of medical complications in eaeh patient varied from 0 to 17 (6.3 ± 3.7).

Overall.

59 different medical complications occurred in the study population.

Common complications that required interventions were pain -264, spasticity-23X.

urinary tract infection- 236, depression- 199, urinary incontinence-195, respiratory tract infections-193, fever- 143, constipation-129, contractures- 112.and pressure ulcers - 108.

Number of medical complications correlated positively with duration of stay (Pearson's correlation co-efficient r -0.4, p<0.0!) and negatively with Barthel Index at admission (r—0.2, p < 0.01) and at discharge (r- -0.2, p<0.01).

Conclusions: Medical complications are frequent among subjects undergoing neurological rehabilitation.

Frequency of medical complications correlated with severity of disability and duration of stay.

Individuals with increased complications had more disability at discharge.