Effects of nutritional status on prognosis in patients with severe hemiplegia who were recently admitted to a rehabilitation hospital.
Yoshitake Hirano, Osamu Nitta
PMID 32425348WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with severe hemiplegia who had normal serum albumin levels at admission achieved better walking ability and daily living independence at discharge than undernourished patients.
However, age and time since stroke onset differed significantly between the two groups.
Key findings
01The normal albumin group had significantly higher Barthel Index scores at discharge compared to the undernourished group.
02A greater proportion of patients in the normal albumin group achieved independent walking ability at discharge.
03The undernourished group was significantly older and had a longer duration from stroke onset to rehabilitation admission than the normal group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The two groups differed significantly in age and time since stroke onset, meaning the undernourished group was older and had a longer delay before starting rehab. This makes it difficult to isolate the effect of nutrition from these other prognostic factors. The study did not control for the intensity or specific content of the rehabilitation programs received by each group. Serum albumin is a single snapshot measure of nutritional status at admission and may not reflect changes during the hospital stay.
Declared interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that poor nutrition alone caused worse outcomes. The undernourished group was significantly older and had a longer time from stroke onset to admission, both of which are known to negatively affect prognosis independently of nutrition.