The Berg Balance Scale as a predictor of length of stay and discharge destination in an acute stroke rehabilitation setting

Objective: To examine the utility of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) in predic ting length of stay and discharge destination for patients admitted to a st roke rehabilitation unit. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Regional tertiary inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit. Patients: One hundred twenty-eight of 141 patients admitted consecutively b etween January 1, 1995, and March 31, 1996. Main Outcome Measures: Length of stay and discharge destination. Results: Admission BBS scores and Functional Independence Measure scores co rrelated with length of stay (r = -0.6 and -0.5, respectively, controlling for age). Logistic regression revealed that the following were independent predictors of being discharged home rather than to an institution (adjusted odds ratio, 95% confidence interval): admission BBS (1.09, 1.04-1.13), age (.89,.83-.95), and presence of family support (11.7, 3. 1-44.3). Conclusions: Measuring the BBS scores of patients upon admission to an acut e stroke rehabilitation unit may assist in approximating length of stay and predicting eventual discharge destination. (C) 1999 by the American Congress of-Rehabilitation Medicine and the Americ an Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.