Red Cell Distribution Width as a Predictor of Functional Outcome in Rehabilitation of Older Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND: Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a prognostic marker in vascular diseases. While increased RDW predicts mortality and outcomes after ischemic stroke, evidence regarding its prognostic significance in stroke rehabilitation is lacking. Thus, the present study investigated the relationship of RDW with stroke, orthopedic, and deconditioning rehabilitation outcomes. METHODS: This prospective comparative study included three groups (stroke, orthopedic, and deconditioning) of older adult patients hospitalized for rehabilitation. The patients in each group were divided into two subgroups according to whether they had high (>14.5%) or normal (≤14.5%) RDW levels on admission. Functional outcome was assessed by total and motor FIM (Functional Independence Measure) score changes and efficiency at admission and on discharge. RESULTS: Of the 234 eligible patients, 108 (46.2%) had high RDW. Of the 50 stroke rehabilitation patients, 13 (26%) had high RDW. FIM change and efficiency scores were significantly lower in patients with high RDW only in the stroke rehabilitation group. However, multiple linear regression analysis showed that high RDW was not independently associated with total and motor FIM gain or total and motor FIM efficiency. CONCLUSION: High RDW levels on admission to rehabilitation were associated with poor rehabilitation outcome in stroke patients but were not an independent risk factor for rehabilitation outcomes.

Discordance Between Hemoconcentration and Clinical Assessment of Decongestion in Acute Heart Failure.

INTRODUCTION: Hemoconcentration has been proposed as a surrogate for successful decongestion in acute heart failure (AHF). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between hemoconcentration and clinical measures of congestion. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 704 patients with AHF and volume overload. A composite congestion score was calculated at admission and discharge, with a score >1 denoting persistent congestion. Hemoconcentration was defined as any increase in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels between baseline and discharge. Of 276 patient with hemoconcentration, 66 (23.9%) had persistent congestion. Conversely, of 428 patients without hemoconcentration, 304 (71.0%) had no clinical evidence of congestion. Mean hematocrit changes were similar with and without persistent congestion (0.18 ± 3.4% and -0.19 ± 3.6%, respectively; P = .17). There was no correlation between the decline in congestion score and the change in hematocrit (P = .93). Hemoconcentration predicted lower mortality (hazard ratio 0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.54-0.90; P = .006). Persistent congestion was associated with increased mortality independent of hemoconcentration (Ptrend = .0003 for increasing levels of congestion score). CONCLUSIONS: Hemoconcentration is weakly related to congestion as assessed clinically. Persistent congestion at discharge is associated with increased mortality regardless of hemoconcentration. Hemoconcentration is associated with better outcome but cannot substitute for clinically derived estimates of congestion to determine whether decongestion has been achieved.