Impact of “one-stop” management on functional recovery of stroke patients

  Objective: To investigate the effect of “one-stop” management using a combination of a combined stroke unit and an extended stroke unit on the recovery of motor and neurological function in stroke patients.  Methods: Eighty stroke patients admitted to the neurology department of our hospital from January 2009 to January 2010 were selected to be treated with different rehabilitation methods after 48 hours of neurological signs stabilization, and were discharged from the hospital to a designated community rehabilitation center where they adhered to rehabilitation training and received secondary prevention education and supervision. Those who only underwent conventional neurological treatment and refused to receive rehabilitation were the control group. All patients were assessed for ADL (activities of daily living) and walking ability on the day of admission, at one week after the start of rehabilitation, at 20 days of hospitalization and at six months, and the results were compared between the two groups.  The differences between the ADL and walking ability assessments of the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05) when compared with those at the time of admission after 1 week, 20 days and half a year.  Conclusion The "one-stop" management can promote the recovery of neurological and motor functions of stroke patients, and its efficacy is better than that of drug treatment alone.  In 1990, the first systematic review of stroke units was conducted in the United States, and the focus shifted from acute care to early rehabilitation. The first stroke unit in China was established by Prof. Wang Dengjun in April 2002. Stroke (cerebrovascular disease) has become the first cause of death and disability in China, and its high morbidity, mortality, disability and recurrence rates seriously endanger the health and quality of life of the general public. The main sequelae of stroke patients are functional impairment of varying degrees, including motor function, daily living ability, cognitive and speech impairment, etc. These functional impairments will cause great pain and burden to the society, families and patients themselves. However, the cruel reality is that many new stroke patients are still left with avoidable disabilities due to the fragmented or disconnected approach of treatment and rehabilitation. Based on the theoretical basis that the central nervous system has the ability to compensate and rebuild structurally or functionally after neurological damage, this study uses a combination of a joint stroke unit and an extended stroke unit to provide "one-stop" management of stroke patients, integrating stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. This study is based on the theoretical basis. This will provide a theoretical basis and direction for the future treatment of stroke patients.