Predictors of inpatient (neuro)rehabilitation after acute care of severe traumatic brain injury: An epidemiological study

Objective: To describe the discharge destination of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) after acute care. To identify predictors associated with inpatient rehabilitation (vs discharge home) and to identify predictors associated with neurorehabilitation (vs general rehabilitation).Methods: A national, multi-centre, prospective study with adult survivors after sTBI (abbreviated injury scale head score > 3). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models included patient characteristics, pre-injury conditions, initial neuro-physiological assessment, trauma mechanisms, severity of TBI and pre-hospital conditions to find predictors of discharge destination.Results: Out of the 566 included patients, 341 (60%) were referred to inpatient rehabilitation, thereof 249 (73%) to neurorehabilitation; 225 (40%) were discharged home or to a nursing home. Lower scores on the Glasgow Coma Scale at admission/at 14 days, higher injury severity scores and older age were predictors for inpatient rehabilitation. Younger age and male gender were predictors for neurorehabilitation.Conclusions: Patients' pathways after acute care are not only determined by the severity of their brain injury, but also by their overall injury severity and socio-biological factors. More than half of the patients after sTBI are not discharged to specialized inpatient neurorehabilitation and, therefore, efforts should be taken to optimize post-acute care.