Objective: To identify prognostic instruments for the planning of care after acute stroke.
Design: Prospective study.
Setting: Stroke unit and geriatric rehabilitation unit.
Subjects: One hundred and fifteen consecutive acute stroke patients ≥65 years old.
Main outcome measures: Univariate and multivariate survival analyses. Length of hospital stay and residential form up to three months after onset.
Results: The average length of stay was significantly shorter if age <80 years, male, living with another person, normal sensory ability, Barthel Index (BI) score ≥35 and Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) score ≥4, assessed 10 days after onset. Multivariate analysis, also including BI subtests, showed that RMI score ≥4, which corresponds to the ability to rise from a chair in less than 15 seconds and remain erect for 15 seconds with or without aid, 10 days after onset, had the greatest impact on early discharge home after acute stroke, together with normal bladder function (BI subtest six), normal sensory ability and living with another person.
Conclusion: The best predictor of early discharge home, 10 days after stroke onset, was the ability to rise from a chair with or without aid. This simple and quickly conducted test requires no special equipment and in the present study had a very high predictive value.
