Medications, comorbidities, and medical complications in stroke survivors: the CAReS study.

Stroke survivors enter rehabilitation units with many medical comorbidities and often experience significant complications during their stays. The 97 stroke survivors discharged home in this study received prescriptionsfor a mean of 11.3 medications from 5.4 different drug classifications. There were significant correlations between the number of comorbidities and after stroke complications and the number of different classifications of drugs that were ordered. This article (1) identifies the types of medications prescribed for stroke survivors who are being discharged home from rehabilitation, (2) explores correlations between medication prescriptions and the number of stroke-related comorbidities and medical complications, (3) identifies the cost of medications and the potential effect of medication costs on stroke survivors, and (4) discusses the nurse's role in preparing stroke survivors and their caregivers for medication use after discharge. Rehabilitation nurses bear the major responsibility for teaching stroke survivors and their caregivers about their discharge medications.