Presenting Early Intervention in Stroke Rehabilitation

Irina Lyamin and Janine Sing, 3rd year students from the University of Washington, presented today on the topic of early rehabilitation for patients after stroke. They provided evidence from the literature supporting early rehabilitation for improving impairments, functional limitations, and participation, using the ICF model as the framework for their presentation. The Medical Director of the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (INN), the Secretary of Education, and Chief of the Neuro-rehab Medicine at the INN were all in attendance. This was especially important since early intervention is not practiced in many/most Moldovian hospitals and acute centers. In order to make a change, these influential leaders must implement current, up-to-date, and evidence-based methods.

A quick background on some rehab methods in Moldova: in most hospitals in Moldova, with the exception of the INN, rehab is started in the acute center WEEKS after a stroke. Research suggests that early intervention (rehab as soon as the patient is medically stable) is not only safe but also important because most recovery after stroke is made within the first month. The presentation also facilitated a good discussion amongst various health care professionals  about how rehabilitation is structured in the United States.  We hope that the PTs and the influential leaders in attendance today will be able to have a strong impact on regulations of rehabilitation in the surrounding hospitals.

The remainder of the day was spent working with patients with various disorders, such as stroke, Guillain-Barre, and Devic’s syndrome. We are continuing to work with patients from the intensive care unit and are excited to see the PTs become more confident with working  with patients in this type of setting.

La reverdere!

The team at the Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery

Working with a kinetotherapist (PT) and a patient with hemiparesis

-Irina Lyamin and Janine Sing