Effect of Early Mobilization within 48 Hours on Activities of Daily Living after Pneumonia in the Elderly

• Published in: Physical Therapy Japan Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 189 - 195
• Main Authors: OKUNO, Shota, KOGA, Hidenobu, ERIGUCHI, Kyohei, SHIRADO, Kengo, YAMABE, Kaede, KAWAMITSU, Kenta, ONISHI, Yutaro, IRIE, Masataka, YAMASHITA, Toshihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Physical Therapy 2021
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Early mobilization; Elderly people; Pneumonia
• ISSN: 0289-3770; 2189-602X
• DOI: 10.15063/rigaku.11761

Purpose: Elderly people with pneumonia are more likely to experience functional deterioration upon hospitalization. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of mobilization within 48 hours on clinical outcomes, including the deterioration of ADLs, the discharge disposition, and the length of hospital stay of hospitalized elderly patients with pneumonia.Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted between April 2016 and March 2017. Elderly patients ( ≧65 years) who were consecutively admitted with pneumonia were studied. Eligible patients were divided into two groups based on whether the first mobilization was performed within 48 hours of admission or later. Propensity score matching was used to determine the relationship between early mobilization and the three clinical outcomes.Results: Of the 376 patients who met the eligibility criteria, there were 55 matched patients in each group. It was found that a higher proportion of patients who were mobilized early maintained their ADL scores (64% vs. 26%, p< 0.001) and were discharged to prior residence (53% vs. 37%, p< 0.001). However, no significant difference was found in their length of stay (median of 15 days vs. 18 days, p=0.099).Conclusion: After adjusting for propensity scores, early mobilization within 48 hours may have affected clinical outcomes among those studied, such as preventing the deterioration of their ADLs and influencing their discharge home. Further prospective study is needed to confirm the findings of the present study.