Effect of early and intensive rehabilitation in acute stroke patients: retrospective pre-/post-comparison in Japanese hospital

Purpose: There is little high-quality or large-scale clinical research focusing on the effect of early and intensive rehabilitation in Eastern countries. This study aimed to determine whether an early and intensive rehabilitation program in a Japanese hospital affects functional outcomes of acute stroke patients.Methods: In total, 1588 stroke patients were investigated. A maintained database of all hospitalized acute stroke patients admitted to our facility over two consecutive 2-year periods was reviewed. We relaunched of a new rehabilitation program to be earlier and more intensive at the midpoint of this two periods. The functional outcomes of the patients in the first 2-year period and the subsequent 2-year period were compared.Results: The total time of rehabilitation exercises per day was significantly increased from the first period to the second period. The number of patients who started rehabilitation within 24 h after admission was significantly increased in the patients admitted during the second period compared with those admitted during the first period. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) efficiency was significantly higher in the patients admitted during the second period than in those admitted during the first period.Conclusions: An early and intensive rehabilitation program in a Japanese hospital affects functional outcomes of acute stroke patients.Implications for RehabilitationEarly and intensive rehabilitation for the stroke patients is an effective means of improving FIM score.Early and intensive rehabilitation affects the improvement of FIM efficiency without increasing adverse events.