Introduction: This paper deals with implementation of functional tests used in early rehabilitation into medical record databases. A pilot-testing of certain measurement instruments was performed to establish if they can be used in short intervals as variables for traumatic brain injury patients and those with stroke in intensive care units. The steering group gave critera for inclusion/exclusion.
Material and methods: We followed up four groups of 15 patients. On admission, their Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was 5-8, 9-12, 13-15. Patients with isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI) were examined using Disability Rating Score (DRS); patients with GCS 13-15 underwent Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT); stroke patients were tested using Motricity Index and the Canadian Stroke Scale. All test were performed for five days in a row.
Results: In the first group, DRS results were identical in all cases. Differences were found in patients with GCS higher than eight, while GOAT was positive in four patients that required neuropsychological testing. In stroke patients, Motricity Index was more discriminative than the Canadian Stroke Scale.
Conclusion: In accordande with our results, the steering group accepted DRS as the variable for patients with GCS 9-12 and 13-15, GOAT for patients with GCS 13-15 and Motricity Index for stroke patients.