title: Rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury in Italy: a multi-centred study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to analyse TBI rehabilitation in Italy, identifying the main factors conditioning motor and functional recovery and destination upon discharge of traumatic severe acquired brain injury (sABI) patients who had undergone intensive rehabilitative treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational prospective study of 863 consecutive patients admitted to 52 Rehabilitation Centres from January 2001 to December 2003.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main cause of trauma was road accidents (79.8%), the mean length of stay was 87.31 ± 77.26 days and 40.4% access to rehabilitation facilities after a month. Pressure sore rates fell from 26.1% to 6.6% during the rehabilitation programme. After discharge 615 patients returned home, whilst 212 were admitted to other health facilities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights some major criticisms of rehabilitation of TBI. The delay of admission and evitable complications such as pressure sores are correlated to a worse outcome. While LOS causes a problem of cost-effectiveness, the rate of home discharge is prevalent and very high compared with other studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, ASL n° 3, Umbria, Italy. mauro.zampolini@tin.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zampolini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zaccaria
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tolli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frustaci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franceschini
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome