title: Incidence of upper limb oedema in patients with acute hemiparetic stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of the incidence of upper limb oedema in an acute care setting by means of clinical and volumetric evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with acute hemiparetic stroke were recruited from 2006 until 2009 (n = 125). Baseline measurements consisted of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, Fugl-Meyer Assessment Arm Section and demographic characteristics. Oedema assessment was performed at 7 days after inclusion and at 1 month and 3 months follow-up. A standardised water displacement method (objective measurement) was used to define oedema and was compared to data from visual inspection and palpation (subjective measurement).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In literature, the incidence of upper limb oedema ranges from 16-83%, defined by a variety of definitions. Oedema incidence in this study was defined by strict criteria using water displacement and ranged from 9-13.9%, while the incidence of oedema defined by visual inspection and palpation ranged from 6-18.5% during the different stages of follow-up. The agreement (Kappa) between both measurements ranged from 0.23-0.38, which is not more than 'moderate' but comparable to the agreement of 0.34 found in literature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An objective and subjective assessment of oedema was used; the agreement between both methods was only moderate. The incidence of oedema found in this study is lower than the incidences found in literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Sciences, Artesis University College of Antwerp, Van Aertselaerstraat 31, 2170, Merksem, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gebruers
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Truijen
authors.forename: Sebastiaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Engelborghs
authors.forename: Peter Paul
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: De Deyn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010173:Palpation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013696:Temperature; D034941:Upper Extremity; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water