Acute inpatient rehabilitation of 55 patients after liver transplantation

Objective: Acute rehabilitation for patients who have had liver transplants is often necessary to restore functional mobility, but no studies, except for case reports, have documented the complications, outcomes, or predictors of success of an acute inpatient rehabilitation program. Our objective was to examine each of these areas related to rehabilitation after liver transplantation. Design: We performed a chart review of 55 patients who received a liver transplant and were treated on our acute rehabilitation service. We examined several factors, including age, reason for transplant, length of acute hospital stay, length of acute inpatient rehabilitation stay, FIM(TM) scores, albumin levels, medical complications, and discharge disposition. Results: Patients undergoing rehabilitation after liver transplantation required multiple medical interventions, including liver biopsy, ultrasound, blood transfusions, and dialysis. Several patients (15%) were transferred to the acute care hospital for medical problems. Both a low albumin and a long length of stay in the acute care hospital correlated with a longer stay in rehabilitation and less efficient rehabilitation. Longer rehabilitation stays correlated positively with FIM gain (P < 0.001, r = 0.534). Significant improvements in AM scores (P < 0.001) during acute inpatient rehabilitation were noted in patients who were discharged to home. We also found that age, albumin level, and length of stay in the hospital did not predict discharge disposition. Conclusion: Patients who have had liver transplants can achieve significant functional gains in acute rehabilitation. Rehabilitation professionals should be aware of potential complications and factors that may affect the rehabilitation of this patient population.