To evaluate the present stroke rehabilitation program and to obtain the guide line for future program, the functional improvement in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) were evaluated by the scores of Barthel Index and PULSES Profile in 33 stroke patients (20 men and 13 women) who underwent inpatient rehabilitation treatment in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital from March 1990 to March 1991.
The results were follows:
1) The age of onset was ranged from 15 to 76 years (mean: 53.4 years.)
2) The hemorragic strokes were more common than ischemic strokes and left side motor weakness were found in 20 cases (60.6%).
3) The time interval between the onset of the stroke and the initial rehabilitative treatment ranged from 9 to 617 days (mean: 110.5 days).
4) The duration of rehabilitation treatment ranged from 6 to 282 days (mean: 56.5 days).
5) The average improvement in Barthel Index score between admission and discharge was 23.2% (42.9 at admission, 66.1 at discharge), which was statistically significatnt (p＜0.001).
6) The changes in Barthel Index score by items were statistically significant in all items. Walking on a level surface showed most improvement, bathing self, least improvement.
7) The average improvement in PULSES Profile score between admission and discharge was 3.3 (15.5 at admission, 12.2 at discharge), which was statistically significant (p<0.01).
8) The change in PULSES Profile score by items were statistically significant in all items. Lower limb functions showed most improvement, sensory components, least improvement.
9) In regard to initial functional dependency, all patients who had been total dependency, severe dependency, moderate dependency have shown statistically significant improvement and one step decrement in dependency.
According to the above results, present stroke rehabilitation program is thought to be very helpful for the stroke patients to improve function in all areas of ADL, and further studies with more detailed scales are required to document the functional changes in initially less dependent patients.
