The Rehabilitation Results of Hemiplegic Patients

Authors: ASUMAN DOĞAN, GÜLDAL NAKİPOĞLU, MERYEM DOĞAN ASLAN, AYŞE Z. KAYA, NEŞE ÖZGİRGİN

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether or not there was an improvement in the daily life activities and ambulation levels of the hemiplegic patients whom we took into our rehabilitation program. In this case series study, 92 hemiplegic patients were included in the rehabilitation program. The ages, genders, educational levels, etiologies, hemiplegic sides, hemiplegic periods and the systemic diseases of the patients included in the rehabilitation program were recorded. The daily life activities of every patient at admittance and at discharge from hospital were evaluated using the Barthel Index (BI) and ambulation levels were evaluated using the Functional Ambulation Scale (FAS). The average BI of the patients at admittance was 44.3 ± 23.3 and the average BI of the patients at discharge was 63.2 ± 25.4. Significance was determined by the t test results between the admittance and discharge BI values (P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference in BI values was determined among female and male patients between admittance and discharge (P > 0.05). According to the FAS levels, while 69 (74.9 %) patients were found to be at the FAS phase 0 and 1 levels on admittance to the hospital, 25 (27.1%) patients were found to be at the FAS phase 0 and 1 levels at discharge. While the number of patients at the phase 4 and 5 levels was 13 (14.1%) at admittance, this reached 52 (56.4%) at discharge. The hemiplegic patients whom we included in the rehabilitation program recorded a statistically significant improvement, both in their daily life activities and in their ambulation levels, at the end of an average 40-day hospitalization period. These results show the importance of a suitable rehabilitation program in the improvement of patients from the functional and motor aspects and for independent ambulation.

Keywords: Hemiplegia, Rehabilitation outcome, Barthel Index, Functional Ambulation Scale

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