Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Claesson, L.
Right arrow Articles by Blomstrand, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Claesson, L.
Right arrow Articles by Blomstrand, C.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Age and Ageing 2003; 32: 109-113
© 2003, British Geriatrics Society

Research paper

Hospital re-admissions in relation to acute stroke unit care versus conventional care in elderly patients the first year after stroke: the Göteborg 70+ Stroke study

Lisbeth Claesson1,, Gunilla Gosman-Hedström1,2, Björn Fagerberg3 and Christian Blomstrand1

The Sahlgrenska Academy of Göteborg University,
1 Institute of Clinical Neuroscience,
2 Institute of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, and
3 Institute of Internal Medicine, Göteborg University, Sweden

Abstract

Background: re-hospitalisation after discharge following index stroke varies over time and with age and comorbidity. There is little knowledge about whether stroke unit care reduces the need of re-admissions.

Objectives: to examine whether stroke unit care as compared with care in general medical wards was associated with fewer re-hospitalisations for conditions judged to be secondary to acute stroke and to identify the influence of stroke severity on re-admission rates.

Design: we conducted a one-year randomised study to compare the outcome of treatment at an acute stroke unit in a care continuum with the outcome of treatment at general medical wards.

Settings: acute and geriatric hospitals in Göteborg, Sweden.

Subjects:  216 elderly patients aged >=70 years discharged to their own homes or to institutionalised living after index stroke.

Methods: comparison of comorbidity classified according to Charlson's morbidity index, re-admission rates, length of hospital stay, number of re-admissions and diagnoses between a group treated at a stroke unit and a group treated at general wards.

Results:  the re-admission rates, length of hospital stay and causes of re-admissions did not differ between the two groups. Complications related to the damage to the brain and concomitant heart disease were the most common causes of re-admissions in both groups. Index stroke severity did not influence the re-admission rates.

Conclusions: re-admissions for conditions judged to be secondary to acute stroke were equal in the two groups in this prospective study.

Keywords: stroke units, complication, stroke outcome, elderly


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Postgrad. Med. J.Home page
E D Moloney, K Bennett, and B Silke
Patient and disease profile of emergency medical readmissions to an Irish teaching hospital
Postgrad. Med. J., August 1, 2004; 80(946): 470 - 474.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Evid. Based Nurs.Home page
OTHER ARTICLES NOTED (24 Jan 03 to 18 Apr 03)
Evid. Based Nurs., July 1, 2003; 6(3): e1 - 12.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.