Functional rehabilitation in intensive care units for post craniotomy patients: study protocol

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Craniotomy makes insight and approach towards the brain easier but accompanies ailments. Intensive care units are equipped with trained professional physical therapists working over these deleterious after-effects of this surgical program, but a progressive, defined, and evidence-supported protocol for such patients is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of a Neuro-rehabilitation protocol devised for post-craniotomy patients within their stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to improve their functional outcomes and reduce their length of stay (LOS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: It will be a single group pre-test post-test quasi feasibility trial. Fifteen patients undergoing craniotomy will be recruited for the trial and will be rendered with Neuro-rehabilitation protocol for 60 minutes from the first day of surgery up to 15 days of surgery. The primary outcome will be the Early Functional Abilities (EFA) Scale to measure functional outcomes like conscious level, sensorimotor abilities, cognitive-perceptual abilities, and oro-motor abilities of patients, which will be assessed first-day post craniotomy. Secondary outcomes will include Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R), Sensory Modality Assessment Rehabilitation Technique (SMART), Modified Ashworth Scale (mMAS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score (MoCA), and Medical Research Council Scale (MRC). Assessments will be taken on the first and fifteenth days post-surgery. PERSPECTIVES: It is expected that this protocol might improve functional outcomes and may reduce the occurrence of comorbidities in patients after Craniotomy in ICUs.