Grip strength as a predictor for home discharge in convalescent rehabilitation patients.
Minami Sato, Masahiro Ishizaka, Yoshiaki Endo
PMID 37915452WHAT IT FOUND
Higher grip strength at discharge was associated with discharge to home or serviced senior housing.
Low grip strength may help flag patients who are less likely to be discharged home.
Key findings
01Grip strength and motor Functional Independence Measure (mFIM) at discharge were significant predictors of home discharge.
02Mean grip strength was 22.1 kg in the home discharge group and 12.9 kg in the non-home discharge group.
03A grip strength cut-off of 15.15 kg had sensitivity 0.774 and specificity 0.750 for predicting home discharge.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was an observational study of patients from one hospital, so it cannot show that grip strength caused home discharge. Only 28 patients were discharged to non-home settings, so the estimates may be unstable. Measurements were taken within two weeks of discharge, and timing from disease onset or surgery was not constant. Dietary intake, blood data, nutritional status changes, and discharge environment were not measured. Patients with maximum grip strength below 5 kg were excluded, so very weak patients are not represented. Serviced senior housing was counted as home discharge, which may differ from private home.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat a grip strength at or below the 15.15 kg cut-off as proof that a patient cannot be discharged to home or serviced senior housing. The study found an association at discharge, not a cause, and the authors state that patients with sarcopenia can return home.