Early intervention care in the acute stroke patient.

Early intervention care has been identified as an important factor in the functional outcome of patients with completed stroke. Little has been published, however, on the efficacy of early intervention in the acute hospital setting. In a retrospective study of 30 patients in an acute care hospital, there was a statistically significant difference in length of stay and ambulatory status (p less than 0.05) for the group receiving rehabilitation treatment within the first 72 hours after admission. There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to age, sex, site of lesion, or previous cardiovascular disease. The present study indicates that early intervention shortens hospital stay and improves outcome, considerations especially important with the adoption of Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs), as hospitals seek measures of cost-containment in the provision of quality cost-effective health care.