Pang 2003.
| Study characteristics | ||
| Methods | Study design: RCT Method of randomisation: not stated "All the patients were randomly divided into rehabilitation group and control group" |
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| Participants | Number of participants: n = 86 Inclusion criteria: "diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria established in the Fourth National Cerebral Vascular Disease Conference in 1995" |
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| Interventions | (1) Rehabilitation group (n = 50) "Both groups received routine treatment in department of internal neurology. Cerebral edema [was] controlled by 20% mannitol and support treatment. In rehabilitation group, superearly stage, flaccid paralysis and recovery stage rehabilitation care were performed based on routine internal medicine treatment" "(i) Superearly stage care: Carefully observe and keep stable life signs and improve basical care within the first 3 days. Keep functional position, including flexion and abduct of shoulder joint, extension of the elbow, dorsal extension of wrist, extension or light flexion of fingers, flexion of knee and hip joint and keep ankle joint in medium position. Turn the body over in regular time and change position, healthy side lateral recumbent position and injured side lateral recumbent position. Still, the patients were required to take injured side lateral recumbent position as much as possible to simulate feeling of the injury side and is advantageble to motion of the healthy side of the body" "(ii) Flaccid paralysis stage care: After 3 weeks’ basic treatment, proximal to distal massaging can be taken based on stable life signs and maintaining functional position. After that, proper short time passive flexion and extension were practiced within the limit of the various articular motion. Motion sequence is started from the bigger joint to the smaller one and stick to from little to large range, proper and step by step principle. Violence was avoided to prevent soft tissue injured. Motion is according to the fatigue status of the patients, with 2 or 3 times a day and 30 min each time" "(iii) Early rehabilitation care: It is important to perform ADL exercise 3 to 4 weeks after injury. The patients were required to practice initiative and passive motion, including position transversion, balance and functional exercise of upper extremities and hand, overload exercise of the lower extremities and flexion and extension of the hip, knee and ankle joint and language exercise, with 1 time per day and 30 to 60 min each time" The individual components delivered are listed in Table 6. Based on the individual components, this intervention is categorised as comprising functional task training and musculoskeletal intervention (passive) Length of intervention period: four weeks Number of sessions and length of individual sessions: dependent on phase of recovery Intervention provider: not stated (2) Control group (n = 36) "Patients in the control group were taken routine care during the experiment" The individual components delivered are listed in Table 6. Based on the individual components, this intervention is categorised as comprising no intervention Length of intervention period: no intervention Number of sessions and length of individual sessions: no intervention Intervention provider: no intervention This study is classified as intervention (functional task training, musculoskeletal (passive)) versus no treatment (Table 7) |
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| Outcomes | Measures of independence in ADL: Barthel Index Time points when outcomes were assessed: "BI comparison between two groups when were received" and "BI comparison between two group[s] 4 weeks after reception" |
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| Notes | Abstract only This paper was written in English, and the extracts above are direct quotes |
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| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | "All the patients were randomly divided into rehabilitation group and control group" |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | No information provided |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | No information provided |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | No dropouts described |
| Free of systematic differences in baseline characteristics of groups compared? | Low risk | Baseline demographics comparable between the two groups |
| Did authors adjust for baseline differences in their analyses? | Low risk | No information provided |
| Other bias | Unclear risk | No information provided |