[Disability and quality of life of stroke survivors: evaluation nine months after discharge].
OBJECTIVE
After acute episode, a great number of individuals who survive a stroke have impairments that impede them to carry out with autonomy a set of basic activities of daily life and instrumental activities of daily life. The clinical evaluation health self perception is a useful element on patient's recovering process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate post-stroke functional health status and quality of life.


METHODS
After identification of a cohort of admitted patients at a general hospital, those were contacted by phone nine months after discharge. The collected tool sent by mail included the COOP WONCA charts, Frenchay Activities Index, Barthel Index, Rankin scale and a set of socio-demographic variables.


RESULTS
Participants survival rate was of 81%. The physical functioning and the capacity to perform daily activities were the most affected ones, impairing the patients of making a set of basic and instrumental daily activities. The emotional state and health self-perception are also correlated to disability.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest a significative percentage of stroke survivors maintaining a moderate or severe disability (47.8%) requiring the presence of caregiver helping self-care. Collected data enhances that stroke survivors have severe physical dysfunction associated to emotional and psychological disturbances.
Martins
T
T
Escuela Superior de Enfermería de São João, Oporto, Portugal. teresam@esenf.pt
Ribeiro
J P
JP
Garrett
C
C
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D015996:Survival Rate