Which Acute Stroke Patients can Walk while Returning Home? Factors Predicting Ambulation.

Purpose: Regaining gait is the primary goal in stroke rehabilitation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of premorbid features of acute stroke patients on the ambulatory level.

Methods: The study included 174 patients who applied to our rehabilitation clinic within the first month after the onset of stroke. Demographic characteristics of patients, pre-stroke symptoms, and stroke characteristics were questioned from patient files and historical data. The ambulation levels of patients before and after rehabilitation were evaluated with the functional ambulation category. The relationship between demographic characteristics, pre-stroke symptoms, stroke characteristics, and ambulation levels of patients before and after rehabilitation was examined.

Results: The presence of coronary heart diseases, atrial fibrillation, and nausea/vomiting before stroke were independent negative risk factors on both pre- and post-rehabilitation ambulation levels (P < 0.05). Additionally, advanced age, oxygen, and mechanical ventilation requirement were other negative independent risk factors on post-rehabilitation ambulation levels (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Knowing some of the pre-stroke characteristics of patients while applying rehabilitation programs may be useful in estimating the ambulatory levels on returning home.