Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to establish a standard for the prediction of falls by using information available for stroke patients with and without falls and by assessing their Brunnstrom stage and scores for functional independence measure (FIM), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and to devise an effective practical index for a clinical setting.
Subjects: Participants included 53 stroke patients (30 male and 23 female; 67.0 ± 11.1 years) hospitalized in the Nishi-Harima Rehabilitation Central Hospital.
Methods: The score for each activity of daily living was evaluated using FIM. In addition, the following parameters were assessed for each patient: sex, age, stroke type, interval from onset to admission, length of hospital stay, affected side of the body, Brunnstrom stage (lower extremity), BBS, MMSE, and fall history.
Results: Of the 53 patients, 19 (36%) had experienced at least 1 fall. Compared with non-fallers, fallers scored low on FIM and for age, time since stroke onset, length of hospital stay and Brunnstrom stage. Fallers also had lower admission BBS scores (< 31).
Conclusion: These results suggest that BBS is a sensitive and specific measure for identifying stroke patients at risk for falls. Balancing ability when hospitalized is closely related to the fall risk in stroke patients. Therefore, the BBS score might contribute to the prediction of falls.
