Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 28, 1995 TAG: 9505300091
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-17 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Post-stroke rehabilitation programs vary widely in quantity and quality, members of the panel said last week, and patients and their care-givers need help in evaluating the services in their communities and matching them with patient needs.
The National Stroke Association estimates that with good rehabilitation, 70 percent of stroke survivors can regain independence in daily activities.
``Unless stroke survivors are properly evaluated and then correctly matched with the services they need, their rehabilitation may lead to less-than-optimal results,'' said Dr. Glen E. Gresham, chairman of the 18-member panel and professor of rehabilitation medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Gresham said in an interview that the treatment guidelines are the first to combine a consensus on post-stroke rehabilitation by experts in every aspect of the field with specific recommendations on how to get the best care.
``In the past, most people couldn't get consistent, high-quality information on what to do after a stroke,'' Gresham said. ``For the most part, people got most of this information from friends or co-workers, and it was anecdotal, random and not very dependable. Now, it's been gathered in one place.''
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel bringing oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or is clogged by a blood clot or some other obstruction. Deprived of oxygen, nerve cells in the affected part of the brain die, causing paralysis or diminished function in parts of the body controlled by these nerves.
The condition hits more than 500,000 Americans each year, causing death in 150,000, according to the American Heart Association.
The incidence is strongly related to age, with more than 70 percent of cases in people 65 years of age or older.
by CNB