ABSTRACT
Objective@#To investigate the usefulness of goal attainment scaling (GAS) in intensive stroke rehabilitation during the subacute stage. @*Methods@#Medical records of subacute post-stroke patients who had undergone intensive rehabilitation under hospitalization, before and after the application of GAS, were collected. GAS was conducted at the initial evaluation of each patient. Specific goals were suggested by physical and occupational therapists and were determined by the responsible physiatrist. A 5-point scale was used for the GAS score after 4 weeks of rehabilitation according to the preset criteria of each goal. To evaluate the influence of GAS in rehabilitation practice, functional improvements were compared between two patient groups before (n=121) and after (n=141) GAS. To assess progress in GAS practice, the standard GAS score was calculated, and the changes were observed over a 3-year period. The standard GAS score converged to 50 points when the goal was achieved. The therapists who used GAS also completed a survey regarding its usefulness. @*Results@#There were no statistical differences in the motor and cognitive outcomes of the patient groups before and after applying GAS scoring. Successive yearly changes in the standard GAS scores showed progressive convergence to 50 points, signaling that the patient’s goal-setting abilities improved. According to the survey, most therapists felt that GAS enhanced the quality of therapies (84.6%). @*Conclusion@#GAS improved goal-setting for the rehabilitation of subacute post-stroke patients and might have a positive effect on rehabilitation.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the relative weight gain at 2-week intervals up to 6 weeks after birth to predict retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) requiring treatment among very low birth weight infants. METHODS: A total of 211 preterm infants with birth weights <1,500 g and gestational age <32 weeks were retrospectively reviewed. The main outcome was the development of ROP requiring treatment. Body weight measurements were recorded daily. Relative weight gains (g/kg/day) were calculated at the second, fourth, and sixth week after birth. RESULTS: Of the 211 infants, 89 developed ROP, of which 41 spontaneously regressed and 48 with early treatment of ROP type I required laser treatment. The relative weight gain at 2, 4, and 6 weeks postnatal age was significantly lower in infants with ROP requiring treatment than in infants without ROP or those with spontaneous regression (P<0.001, P=0.005, and P=0.004, respectively). On logistic regression, poor relative weight gain in the first 2 weeks was found to be related to ROP requiring treatment (adjusted odds ratio, 0.809; 95% confidence interval, 0.695-0.941; P=0.006). Relative weight gain at 2 weeks postnatal age was significantly lower in infants with ROP requiring treatment compared to that in ROP requiring no treatment (P=0.012). CONCLUSION: Poor postnatal weight gain in the first 2 weeks of life is an important and independent risk factor for ROP requiring treatment. Postnatal weight gain can predict the development of severe ROP requiring treatment.