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Evidence summaries

Very Early Versus Conventional Mobilisation after Stroke

In stroke there appears to be no difference in the efficacy of very early (within 24 hours of stroke) and conventional mobilisation. Level of evidence: "B"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 1 RCT with a total of 71 subjects with stroke. The mean age was 75 years. 87% had suffered an ischaemic stroke . For 75% of patients, this was their first-ever stroke. The experimental group (EG) had earlier (within 24 hours of stroke) and more frequent mobilisation than the control group (CG) (median 18 hours post stroke for EG vs. 31 hours for CG; 167 min of mobilisation (interquartile range (IQR) 62 to 305) during admission for EG vs. 69 (IQR 31 to 115) min for CG). Fewer patients who received early and frequent mobilisation were dead or disabled at 3 months, but this was not statistically significant and the CI:s were wide (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.79). No significant difference on any secondary outcomes was found.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by imprecise results (few patients and wide confidence intervals).

    References

    • Bernhardt J, Thuy MN, Collier JM, Legg LA. Very early versus delayed mobilisation after stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009;(1):CD006187. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords