The impact of post-stroke fatigue on inpatient rehabilitation outcomes: An observational study.

Abstract

BackgroundPost-stroke fatigue is a typical complication following stroke. However, existing research primarily focused on its underlying mechanisms, and its impact on rehabilitation outcomes has yet to be uncovered.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the impact of post-stroke fatigue on rehabilitation outcomes during hospitalization.MethodThis was a prospective multicenter observational study including 46 stroke patients receiving comprehensive rehabilitation treatment. Patients' basic information was recorded upon admission and patients' functional independence was assessed with Functional Independence Measure (FIM) both upon admission and discharge. One week after rehabilitation treatment, fatigue, positivity in daily activity, attention, and memory were assessed. Serum biochemical indicators and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed weekly following admission. The pain scores were assessed during the first week of hospitalization to calculate the average. Correlation analysis, linear regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to analyze the impact of fatigue on FIM scores at discharge and length of hospital stay.ResultThe proportion of patients with low fatigue was 39.13% and significant improvement was revealed in FIM scores upon admissions and discharge [(50.67±18.61) vs. (75.13±21.04), PConclusionPost-stroke fatigue can affect the rehabilitation outcomes regarding motor function independence and length of hospital stay.