Functional Outcomes of Patients with Primary Brain Tumors Undergoing Inpatient Rehabilitation at a Tertiary Care Rehabilitation Facility in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Rehabilitation services play a crucial role in improving the functionality and quality of life of individuals with a brain tumor; however, outcomes of inpatient rehabilitation based on tumor characteristics are not well known in the literature. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of tumor characteristics on functional outcomes. A retrospective chart review was conducted for all adults with a diagnosis of primary brain tumor admitted for IPR between January 2014 and December 2019. Information was collected regarding demographics, characteristics of primary brain tumors, length of stay (LOS) and Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) scores. There were 46 patients, with the majority being male. The most common brain tumors were glioblastoma multiforme and meningioma. The mean LOS was 47.93 ± 26.40 days and the mean FIM gain was 78 ± 14. The type, grade and location of primary brain tumors did not show a significant correlation with the length of stay and functional gains during inpatient rehabilitation. There was a positive correlation between the FIM at admission and discharge, and a significant inverse correlation between the FIM score at admission and LOS. In-patient rehabilitation improved the functional outcomes in adult patients with primary brain tumors. Strategies to incorporate IPR in the care continuum of patients with brain tumors need to be adapted to improve regional services.

Frequency, Characteristics, and Risk Factors for Falls at an Inpatient Cancer Rehabilitation Unit: Should Examination Be Disease Specific?

“…These investigators characterize the patients in this study and note cancer diagnosis and status, and most patients had diagnoses of brain and/or other nervous system cancers, and metastatic disease was present in close to 50% of the patients. 4 This population of patients with cancer are likely to have numerous risk factors for falling and perhaps it would be most accurate to describe this manuscript as examining the ‘Frequency, Characteristics, and Risk Factors for Falls among patients with predominately brain and/or other nervous system cancers and metastatic disease at an Inpatient Cancer Rehabilitation’. Data gathered in this study could possibly provide a more accurate characterization of the risk for falls and measurement for fall risk in patients without brain and other nervous system cancers that could affect referrals to cancer rehabilitation by medical oncologists who have some knowledge that rehabilitation is beneficial despite their low patient referral rates.…”