Re-Admissions of 'Unknown' Traumatic Brain Injury Patients - Inadequacy of Rehabilitative Services in a Developing Country.

BACKGROUND: In neurosurgical practice, continuous care after discharge and the ability to detect subtle indicators of clinical deterioration are mandatory to prevent the progression of a disease. The care of 'unknown' patients discharged to rehabilitation homes may not have this privilege, especially in resource-poor countries such as India. OBJECTIVE: We have attempted to study the causes and outcomes of re-admissions of 'unknown' patients with previous traumatic brain injury (TBI) to estimate the quality of nursing care in our rehabilitation centers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The electronic hospital records of all consecutive 'unknown' TBI patients with unplanned re-admissions at our institute from January 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed for the factors determining the risk and outcomes of re-admission. RESULTS: Out of 245 patients sent to rehabilitation homes at discharge, 47 patients (19.18%) were re-admitted. A total of 33 patients (70%) were re-admitted between 1 month and 1 year. Out of these, 38 patients (80.9%) were re-admitted because of preventable causes. Fifteen patients (31.9%) died during the hospital stay. The rest of the 32 (68%) patients were discharged after the management of the concerned condition with an average hospital stay of 9 ± 11.1 days. The average Glasgow coma scale (GCS) at re-admission of the patients who died was 6 (range 3-11). Two patients were brought in the brain dead status, whereas 20 patients (42.6%) had a GCS of 5 or below at the time of re-admission. The risk of mortality among patients with non-preventable causes was 88.9% (8/9) compared to preventable causes 18.4% (7/38). However, preventable causes for re-admission are much more common, resulting in nearly a similar overall contribution to mortality. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high rate of mortality and morbidity in 'unknown' patients with TBI because of poor post-discharge care in developing countries. Because preventable causes are the major contributor to re-admissions, the re-admission rate is a good indicator of a lack of adequate rehabilitative services. The need for improving the post-discharge management of 'unknown' patients with TBI in resource-poor countries cannot be over-emphasized.

Unplanned transfer to acute care during inpatient geriatric rehabilitation: incidence, risk factors, and associated short-term outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Information is scarce on unplanned transfers from geriatric rehabilitation back to acute care despite their potential impact on patients' functional recovery. This study aimed 1) to determine the incidence rate and causes of unplanned transfers; 2) to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients with and without unplanned transfer. METHODS: Consecutive stays (n = 2375) in a tertiary geriatric rehabilitation unit were included. Unplanned transfers to acute care and their causes were analyzed from discharge summaries. Data on patients' socio-demographics, health, functional, and mental status; length of stay; discharge destination; and death, were extracted from the hospital database. Bi- and multi-variable analyses investigated the association between patients' characteristics and unplanned transfers. RESULTS: One in six (16.7%) rehabilitation stays was interrupted by a transfer, most often secondary to infections (19.3%), cardiac (16.8%), abdominal (12.7%), trauma (12.2%), and neurological problems (9.4%). Older patients (AdjORage≥85: 0.70; 95%CI: 0. 53-0.94, P = .016), and those admitted for gait disorders (AdjOR: 0.73; 95%CI: 0.53-0.99, P = .046) had lower odds of transfer to acute care. In contrast, men (AdjOR: 1.71; 95%CI: 1.29-2.26, P < .001), patients with more severe disease (AdjORCIRS: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.02-1.07, P < .001), functional impairment before (AdjOR: 1.69; 95%CI: 1.05-2.70, P = .029) and at rehabilitation admission (AdjOR: 2.07; 95%CI: 1.56- 2.76, P < .001) had higher odds of transfer. Transferred patients were significantly more likely to die than those without transfer (AdjOR 13.78; 95%CI: 6.46-29.42, P < .001) during their stay, but those surviving had similar functional performance and rate of home discharge at the end of the stay. CONCLUSION: A significant minority of patients experienced an unplanned transfer that potentially interfered with their rehabilitation and was associated with poorer outcomes. Men, patients with more severe disease and functional impairment appear at increased risk. Further studies should investigate whether interventions targeting these patients may prevent unplanned transfers and modify associated adverse outcomes.

Prediction of long-term functional outcome following different rehabilitation pathways after stroke unit discharge.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether referral for different types of rehabilitation on discharge from Swedish stroke units can predict functional outcomes at 1 and 5 years after a stroke. DESIGN: A longitudinal and registry-based study. SUBJECTS/PATIENTS: A total of 5,118 participants with index stroke in 2011 were followed-up at 1 and 5 years after the stroke. METHODS: Ordinal logistic regression models were developed to predict the category of functional outcome: independent, dependent, or dead. The primary predictors were planned rehabilitation in a home setting, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient rehabilitation, with no planned rehabilitation as the reference category. RESULTS: Planned outpatient rehabilitation predicted independence (compared with death) at 1 year. Planned rehabilitation in the home setting predicted independence (compared with death) at 1 and 5 years. Compared with other planned pathways, participants planned for inpatient rehabilitation had more severe conditions, and planned inpatient rehabilitation did not predict independence. CONCLUSION: Planning for outpatient or home-based rehabilitation appeared to lead more effectively to participants achieving independence over the course of 1-5 years. This may have been due to the less severe nature of these participants' conditions, compared with those requiring inpatient rehabilitation.

The Use of Methylphenidate During Inpatient Rehabilitation After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Population Characteristics and Prescribing Patterns.

OBJECTIVE: To understand how methylphenidate (MPH) is used in youth with traumatic brain injury (TBI) during inpatient pediatric rehabilitation. SETTING: Inpatient pediatric rehabilitation. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 234 children with TBI; 62 of whom received MPH and 172 who did not. Patients were on average 11.6 years of age (range, 2 months to 21 years); 88 of 234 were female; the most common mechanism of injury was motor vehicle collision (49%); median (IQR) acute hospital length of stay (LOS) and inpatient rehabilitation LOS were 16 (10-29) and 23 (14-39), respectively; 51 of 234 were in a disorder of consciousness cognitive state at time of inpatient rehabilitation admission. DESIGN: Multicenter, retrospective medical record review. MAIN MEASURES: Patient demographic data, time to inpatient pediatric rehabilitation admission (TTA), cognitive state, MPH dosing (mg/kg/day). RESULTS: Patients who received MPH were older (P = .011); TTA was significantly longer in patients who received MPH than those who did not (P =.002). The lowest recorded dose range by weight was 0.05 to 0.89 mg/kg/d, representing an 18-fold difference; the weight-based range for the maximum dose was 0.11 to 0.97 mg/kg/d, a 9-fold difference. Patients in lower cognitive states at admission (P = .001) and at discharge (P = .030) were more likely to receive MPH. Five patients had side effects known to be associated with MPH; no serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: This multicenter study indicates that there is variable use of MPH during acute inpatient rehabilitation for children with TBI. Children who receive MPH tend to be older with lower cognitive states. Dosing practices are likely consistent with underdosing. Clinical indications for MPH use during inpatient pediatric rehabilitation should be better defined. The use of MPH, as well as its combination with other medications and treatments, during inpatient rehabilitation needs to be further explored.

Counterpoint: In-Home Pulmonary Rehabilitation Is an Attractive Alternative.

Center-based pulmonary rehabilitation is positioned as the accepted standard for pulmonary rehabilitation. There, however, are several barriers to its utilization, and usage rates remain as low as 4%, despite decades of trying to improve access. The question then arises as to who is really benefiting from center-based pulmonary rehabilitation as this therapy is barely available to eligible patients. Alternative modes of delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation have been tested. Meta-analyses indicate that these alternate modes are associated with clinical improvements comparable with center-based pulmonary rehabilitation in several outcomes that are important for patients, including the 6-min walk distance, dyspnea, and quality of life. These modes are also associated with better adherence to the intervention than center-based pulmonary rehabilitation. Telehealth pulmonary rehabilitation and home-based pulmonary rehabilitation, therefore, are attractive alternatives to center-based pulmonary rehabilitation and will exponentially increase pulmonary rehabilitation capacity.

A historical cohort study on predictors for successful weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation and up to 3-year survival follow-up in a rehabilitation center.

BACKGROUND: We followed prolonged mechanically ventilated (PMV) patients for weaning attempts and explored factors associated with successful weaning and long-term survival. METHODS: This historical cohort study included all adult PMV patients admitted to a single rehabilitation hospital during 2015-2018 and followed for survival according to weaning success up to 3 years or the end of 2021. RESULTS: The study included 223 PMV patients. Of them, 124 (55.6 %) underwent weaning attempts, with 69 (55.6 %) successfully weaned, 55 (44.4 %) unsuccessfully weaned, and 99 patients with no weaning attempts. The mean age was 67 ± 20 years, with 39 % female patients. Age, sex distributions and albumin levels at admission were not significantly different among the groups. The successful weaning group had a 6 % higher proportion of conscious patients than the failed weaning group (55 % vs. 49 %, respectively, p = 0.45). Patients successfully weaned were less frequently treated with antibiotics for 5 days or more than those unsuccessfully weaned (74 % vs 80 %, respectively, p = 0.07). They also had a lower proportion of time from intubation to tracheostomy greater than 14 days (45 % vs 66 %, p = 0.02). The age, sex, antibiotic treatment, time to tracheostomy exceeding 14 days and time from admission to first weaning attempt adjusted one-year mortality risk of successful vs. failed weaning was somewhat lower, HR = 0.75, 95%CI: 0.33-1.60, p = 0.45, with the same trend by the end of 3 years, HR = 0.77, 95%CI: 0.42-1.39, p = 0.38. CONCLUSION: Successful weaning from PMV may be associated with better survival and allows chronically ventilated patients to become independent on a ventilator. A larger study is needed to further validate our findings.

Surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) in a raptor rehabilitation center-2022.

An ongoing, severe outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) A H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has been circulating in wild and domestic bird populations throughout the world, reaching North America in 2021. This HPAI outbreak has exhibited unique characteristics when compared to previous outbreaks. The global distribution of disease, prolonged duration, extensive number of species and individual wild birds affected, and the large impact on the global poultry industry have all exceeded historical impacts of previous outbreaks in North America. In this study, we describe the results of HPAI surveillance conducted at The Raptor Center, a wildlife rehabilitation hospital at University of Minnesota (Saint Paul, MN, U.S.A.), from March 28th-December 31, 2022. All wild raptors admitted to the facility were tested for avian influenza viruses using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. All non-negative samples were submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories for confirmatory HPAI testing and genetic sequencing. During the study period, 996 individual birds representing 20 different species were tested for avian influenza, and 213 birds were confirmed HPAI positive. Highly pathogenic avian influenza surveillance conducted at The Raptor Center contributed 75% of the HPAI positive raptor detections within the state of Minnesota, located within the Mississippi flyway, significantly augmenting state wildlife surveillance efforts. The viral genotypes observed in birds sampled at The Raptor Center were representative of what was seen in wild bird surveillance within the Mississippi flyway during the same time frame. Wildlife rehabilitation centers provide an opportune situation to augment disease surveillance at the human, wildlife and domestic animal interface during ongoing infectious disease outbreaks.

Differences in Daily Activity Performance Between Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility and Home Among Stroke Survivors.

BACKGROUND: Stroke survivors are one of the largest consumer groups of rehabilitation services. Despite improvement in daily activities while in inpatient rehabilitation, many have difficulty performing daily activities at home after discharge. The difference in performance between a standard clinical context and at home is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To better understand differences in activity performance during transition from inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) to home, we examined daily activity performance scores from 2 different environments (IRF and home) at the same time point (discharge). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from a randomized controlled trial. Participants were stroke survivors aged ≥50 who planned to discharge home from the IRF. The Functional Independence Measure and Section GG codes (both converted to International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health scores) were conducted per protocol first at home and then in the IRF at discharge (≤3 days apart, order not randomized). RESULTS: Among 57 participants, activity scores at home were significantly worse than scores at IRF discharge. Over 40% of participants had discharge scores indicating no-to-mild impairment for shower/tub transfer, walking, and going up/down stairs, while home visit scores indicated moderate-to-complete impairment for those activities. The greatest differences in scores were for shower/tub transfer (median difference 1.5, 95% CI 1.00-2.00) and going up/down stairs (median difference 1.50, 95% CI 1.00-2.00). CONCLUSION: The environment plays an important role in stroke survivors' functioning at home. Future studies should further examine how the environment impacts activity performance upon returning home following stroke.

Resistant Escherichia coli isolated from wild mammals from two rescue and rehabilitation centers in Costa Rica: characterization and public health relevance.

This study aimed to characterize the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence profiles of 67 Escherichia coli isolates obtained from faecal samples of 77 wild mammals from 19 different species, admitted in two rescue and rehabilitation centers in Costa Rica. It was possible to classify 48% (n = 32) of the isolates as multidrug-resistant, and while the highest resistance levels were found towards commonly prescribed antimicrobials, resistance to fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporins were also observed. Isolates obtained from samples of rehabilitated animals or animals treated with antibiotics were found to have significantly higher AMR levels, with the former also having a significant association with a multidrug-resistance profile. Additionally, the isolates displayed the capacity to produce α-haemolysins (n = 64, 96%), biofilms (n = 51, 76%) and protease (n = 21, 31%). Our results showed that AMR might be a widespread phenomenon within Costa Rican wildlife and that both free-ranging and rehabilitated wild mammals are potential carriers of bacteria with important resistance and virulence profiles. These results highlight the need to study potential sources of resistance determinants to wildlife, and to determine if wild animals can disseminate resistant bacteria in the environment, potentially posing a significant threat to public health and hindering the implementation of a "One Health" approach.

Turnover intention of foreign trained physicians in German rehabilitation facilities-a quantitative study.

BACKGROUND: Germany's medical specialist shortage is an acute challenge, especially in the rehabilitation segment. One countermeasure is to recruit foreign trained physicians (FTP), but the high turnover of FTP is a burden on the departments that train them and integrate them professionally. Preliminary research showed that currently one in three physician positions in German Pension Insurance (DRV) contract facilities is filled by FTP.This paper examines factors related to turnover intention of FTP in German rehabilitative departments. METHODOLOGY: In spring 2022, we surveyed FTP across all inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation departments under the German Pension Insurance, using a two-stage cross-sectional approach. We conducted an online survey of FTP and developed a specialized questionnaire that captured sociodemographic, occupation related and professional biographical data, turnover intention, satisfaction, difficulties with professional integration and departmental structural characteristics. To analyze retention within the rehabilitation field, we used a measure of turnover intention, taking into account the direction of potential turnover, residency requirements and considerations of returning to the rehabilitation field. The data was evaluated in a subgroup analysis comparing FTP with and without turnover intention using Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: The sample includes n = 145 FTP, 119 stating no turnover intention and 27 with turnover intention. More than half of FTP with turnover intention wished to move to an acute care hospital. FTP with turnover intention are comparatively younger and came to Germany and were employed in the rehabilitation departments more recently, indicating an earlier career stage. Besides, career-related and regional factors show the strongest relation to turnover intention. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results reveal a group of "established FTP" whose professional integration has been successfully completed. FTP with turnover intention are comparatively younger, career-oriented physicians for whom work in a rehabilitative facility is a career springboard to gain a foothold in acute care clinics. A limitation is that FTP with turnover intention are difficult to reach and may be underrepresented in our sample.

Point: Center-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation Is the Standard.

Currently, a major pulmonary rehabilitation focus is on expanding access. At-home rehabilitation is being explored as an in-center pulmonary rehabilitation alternative. It has been asserted that in-home pulmonary rehabilitation confers similar benefits to in-center pulmonary rehabilitation. An extensive database documents that in-center pulmonary rehabilitation confers a range of patient-relevant benefits. Recently, evidence has been presented that in-center pulmonary rehabilitation improves survival, perhaps the most important benefit of all. It can be argued that improvements in physical fitness, assessed as exercise capacity, are mechanistically related to survival improvements. Therefore, in-home rehabilitation must demonstrate exercise capacity improvements similar to those regularly seen in-center to be considered equivalent. A literature search identified 11 studies that compared in-home with in-center pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD that recorded exercise tolerance outcomes. Despite being described as in-home programs, almost all featured prefatory in-center evaluation; some featured in-home visits by rehabilitation professionals. In 6 of the 11 studies, only walking exercise was prescribed. Only 3 included 2-way audio/visual patient-therapist contact. With regard to exercise outcomes; in 3, there was greater in-center group improvement; in 4, outcomes were similar; and, in 4, the in-center group failed to demonstrate clinically important exercise outcome increases; decidedly mixed results. Importantly, in 8 of 11 studies, the 6-min walk test was an exercise outcome. It is argued that the 6-min walk test does not generally elicit physiologically maximum responses and cannot be used to assess exercise capacity improvements. Of the 4 studies that used other exercise outcomes, in 2, exercise endurance increase was similar between in-home and in-center groups; in the other 2, the in-center group had superior improvements. Mixed results indeed! In conclusion, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that in-home pulmonary rehabilitation yields improvements equivalent to center-based programs in physical function, the outcome likely driving long-term prognosis. Moreover, it needs to be established which of the wide variety of in-home program designs now being offered should be promoted.

The strain among caregivers of children with disabilities at the community-based rehabilitation centres in Kudat division of Sabah, Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of children with disabilities (CWD) is increasing. CWD requires exceptional long-term attention, which often falls on the caregivers. Caring for a CWD affects caregivers in multiple ways, such as physical, social, personal, and financial aspects. Most of the CWD will be cared in Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) centres where the caregivers have to play a crucial role as they become partners in the respective service delivery. However, there is still insufficient information on the impact (strain) of a disabled child on the caregivers in the CBR centre in the Kudat division of Sabah, Malaysia specifically. Hence, this study aims to explore the strains among caregivers of CWD at the CBR centre in the Kudat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study through a purposive sampling method was employed, involving 142 caregivers of CWD at the selected CBR centre. Four CBR centres were selected in this study, which were located in the Kudat division of Sabah. The Malay version of the Modified Caregiver Strain Index Questionnaire (M-CSI-M) was used in this study to obtain information about the caregiver's strain. RESULTS: Findings from this study revealed that most caregivers experienced moderate strain (72.5%). Some of the leading causes of their strain were upsetting CWD's behaviour (10.6%), financial strain (9.2%), and overwhelmed (9.2%). In addition, there were significant differences between caregiver strain and their level of education, income, and the types of their child's disabilities (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: The well-being of the caregivers may significantly impact the effectiveness of rehabilitation for CWD, as caregivers are vital interdisciplinary team members.

Barriers to Cardiac Rehabilitation among Patients Diagnosed with Cardiovascular Diseases-A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a rising global burden. Preventative strategies such as cardiac rehabilitation (CR) have shown a marked reduction in disease burden. Despite this, CR is underutilized worldwide. This study aims to identify the barriers to CR among patients diagnosed with CVD. METHODS: A scoping review of the literature was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. Four major databases, including CINAHL, PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Scopus, were used to obtain studies published between 2010 and 2023. Search terms such as "Cardiac rehab*", "Barrier*", "Cardiovascular", "Disease", and "diagnosis*" were utilized in order to obtain subject-specific studies relevant to the research question. RESULTS: From the initial 2098 studies, only 14 were included in the final analysis, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative designs. The thematic analysis included "healthcare system-related factors", "Socioeconomic factors", and "individual characteristics". Healthcare system-related factors were mostly related to the poor availability of CR programs, lack of proper referral strategies, inadequate knowledge of CR provider and inter-provider communication issues, and lack of alternative methods of CR delivery. The socioeconomic barriers were lack of education, longer distance to CR facilities, high cost of care, unemployment, and poor income status. The identified individual characteristics were female gender, older age, and comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of resources, poor access, educational attainment, and high cost of care were some of the barriers to CR, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Health policymakers and healthcare providers should implement strategies incorporating the issues identified in this scoping review. Systematic reviews may be required to confirm these findings.

Rehabilitation and release of orphaned Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Europe: Implications for management and conservation.

Rehabilitation of injured or immature individuals has become an increasingly used conservation and management tool. However, scientific evaluation of rehabilitations is rare, raising concern about post-release welfare as well as the cost-effectiveness of spending scarce financial resources. Over the past 20 years, events of juvenile Eurasian lynx presumably orphaned have been observed in many European lynx populations. To guide the management of orphaned lynx, we documented survival, rehabilitation and fate after the release and evaluated the potential relevance of lynx orphan rehabilitation for population management and conservation implications. Data on 320 orphaned lynx was collected from 1975 to 2022 from 13 countries and nine populations. The majority of orphaned lynx (55%) were taken to rehabilitation centres or other enclosures. A total of 66 orphans were released back to nature. The portion of rehabilitated lynx who survived at least one year after release was 0.66. Release location was the best predictor for their survival. Of the 66 released lynx, ten have reproduced at least once (8 females and 2 males). Conservation implications of rehabilitation programmes include managing genetic diversity in small, isolated populations and reintroducing species to historical habitats. The lynx is a perfect model species as most reintroduced populations in Central Europe show significantly lower observed heterozygosity than most of the autochthonous populations, indicating that reintroduction bottlenecks, isolation and post-release management have long-term consequences on the genetic composition of populations. The release of translocated orphans could be a valuable contribution to Eurasian lynx conservation in Europe. It is recommended to release orphans at the distribution edge or in the frame of reintroduction projects instead of a release in the core area of a population where it is not necessary from a demographic and genetic point of view. Rehabilitation programmes can have conservation implications that extend far beyond individual welfare benefits.

Management of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center: Model of Care Adaptation and Implementation.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent and poorly managed in spinal cord injury (SCI). Alternative management models are urgently needed to improve access to care. We previously described the unique models of three SCI rehabilitation centers that independently manage uncomplicated OSA. Objectives: The primary objective was to adapt and implement a similar rehabilitation-led model of managing OSA in an SCI rehabilitation center in Australia. Secondary objectives were to identify the local barriers to implementation and develop and deliver tailored interventions to address them. Methods: A clinical advisory group comprised of rehabilitation clinicians, external respiratory clinicians, and researchers adapted and developed the care model. A theory-informed needs analysis was performed to identify local barriers to implementation. Tailored behavior change interventions were developed to address the barriers and prepare the center for implementation. Results: Pathways for ambulatory assessments and treatments were developed, which included referral for specialist respiratory management of complicated cases. Roles were allocated to the team of rehabilitation doctors, physiotherapists, and nurses. The team initially lacked sufficient knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver the OSA care model. To address this, comprehensive education and training were provided. Diagnostic and treatment equipment were acquired. The OSA care model was implemented in July 2022. Conclusion: This is the first time a rehabilitation-led model of managing OSA has been implemented in an SCI rehabilitation center in Australia. We describe a theory-informed method of adapting the model of care, assessing the barriers, and delivering interventions to overcome them. Results of the mixed-methods evaluation will be reported separately.

Trends in the Characteristics and Outcomes of Older Medicare Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury Treated in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities: 2013 to 2018.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics and outcomes of older (65+) Medicare beneficiaries with traumatic brain injury (TBI) treated in inpatient rehabilitation facilities between 2013 and 2018. DESIGN: Descriptive study using IRF Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI) data reporting trends of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and outcomes of inpatient rehabilitation facilities Medicare patients with TBI. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 99,804 older Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage patients with TBI (N=99,804). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Length of stay, self-care, and mobility functional outcomes, discharge destination. RESULTS: The number of older Medicare beneficiaries with TBI treated in inpatient rehabilitation facilities increased from 14,657 in 2013 to 18,791 in 2018, an increase of 28.2%. In addition to this overall increase in patients, we also found the percentage of men increased slightly (52.9% to 54.8%), there was a higher percentage of patients with tier 3 comorbidities, there was a decrease in the variability of length of stay, there was slightly more self-care and mobility improvement and a slightly higher percentage of patients discharged to the community (67.8% in 2013 and 71.6% in 2018). Newer standardized data showed that prior to the injury, more than one-third used a walker and more than three-quarters had a history of recent falls. CONCLUSIONS: Between 2013 and 2018, the number of Medicare beneficiaries with TBI treated in IRFs increased by approximately 28%. The characteristics of IRF older patients with TBI changed between 2013 and 2018 toward a slightly higher proportion of men, more comorbidities, and a higher percentage being discharged home after inpatient rehabilitation.

Impact of Urine Culture Reflex Policy Implementation in a Large County Hospital Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit-A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: To promote antimicrobial stewardship, many institutions have implemented a policy of reflexing to a urine culture based on a positive urinalysis result. The rehabilitation patient population, including individuals with brain and spinal cord injuries, may have atypical presentations of urinary tract infections. The study objective is to determine the effects of implementing a urine culture reflex policy in this specific patient population. DESIGN: In an inpatient rehabilitation unit, 348 urinalyses were analyzed from August 2019 to June 2021. Urinalysis with greater than or equal to 10 white blood cells per high power field was automatically reflexed to a urine culture in this prospective study. Primary outcome was return to acute care related to urinary tract infection. Secondary outcomes included adherence to reflex protocol, antibiotic utilization and appropriateness, adverse outcomes related to antibiotic use, and reduction in urine cultures processed and the associated reduction in healthcare costs. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference before and after intervention related to the primary outcome. Urine cultures processed were reduced by 58% after intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Urine culture reflex policy is likely an effective intervention to reduce the frequency of urine cultures without significantly affecting the need to transfer patients from inpatient rehabilitation back to the acute care setting.