Correlation between functional performance and length of stay of neurosurgical patients in the intensive care unit

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Neurosurgical patients are predisposed to neurological dysfunctions inherent to baseline disease, sensory-motor and cognitive alterations, and their mobility is reduced in the acute postoperative phase. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between functional performance and length of stay of neurosurgical patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and to describe the frequency of bed removal in this period. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional, observational study performed at a surgical ICU of a highly complex hospital of the state public network in Salvador, Bahia. Adult subjects submitted to some type of neurosurgery were included, excluding those transferred to another unit or hospital before discharge. Sociodemographic, clinical data and bedside removal were removed from the medical records. The functional independence measure (FIM) was assessed at the time of discharge and the correlation with ICU length of stay was verified using the Spearman coefficient. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients were included in the study, of which 57.7% (15) were females, with a mean age of 37.2 ± 12.9 years. It was observed that 56% (14) of the patients were mobilized in less than 24 hours of ICU admission and those who were not mobilized during hospitalization had medical justification. There was no correlation between the MIF functional score at discharge and the length of ICU stay (r = 0.3; p = 0.11). CONCLUSION: The practice of bed withdrawal was started within 24 hours of ICU stay, evidencing a profile of patients with modified or complete functional independence at discharge, but without correlation with the length of ICU stay.