Functional outcome of individuals with traumatic brain injury and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the impact of acute lower extremity (LE) deep venous thrombosis (DVT) on functional outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
Tertiary university medical center rehabilitation unit.


METHODS
Ninety-two TBI rehabilitation patients (46 patients with DVT and 46 patients without DVT). Forty-six TBI patients with a diagnosis of LE DVT were 1:1 matched with non-DVT TBI patients. Matching criteria included: primary diagnosis of TBI, admission Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and age.


METHODS
FIM (admission, discharge, change, and efficiency), FIM subscores (activities of daily living [ADL], mobility, cognition), length of stay ([LOS] acute and rehabilitation), and discharge living disposition.


METHODS
Cohort study utilizing prospectively collected data. DVT diagnoses were made upon rehabilitation admission using color flow duplex Doppler ultrasonography. Descriptive statistics were run on demographic variables. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were performed on the sample with regard to outcome measures, including FIM scores, FIM subscores, and LOS (acute and rehabilitation).


RESULTS
No significant between-group differences were found concerning LOS, rehabilitation costs, FIM total, or FIM subgroup scores. Chi-squared analyses revealed significant differences between groups with regard to discharge living disposition (chi(2) = 4.7, P <.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Lower extremity DVT does not appear to interfere with functional outcome after TBI. The data suggest that this patient population is appropriate for admission or continued participation in acute inpatient rehabilitation, despite the presence of LE DVT.
Wagner
R H
RH
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0677, USA.
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Keyser-Marcus
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D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology