LAUSR

Introduction/Background Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a common finding in the cohort of rehabilitation patients. However, there is no reported study on how this population performs in the rehabilitation setting. We hypothesized that patients with SCH may have lower level of rehabilitation gains. The aims of this study are to: (1) quantify the incidence of subclinical hypothyroidism in rehabilitation patients; (2) review functional outcomes of patients with subclinical hypothyroidism; (3) seek correlation between the level of thyroid function and rehabilitation outcomes. Material and method This was an observational retrospective cohort study of all patients receiving rehabilitation over 2 years from Jan 2015 till Dec 2016. Quantitative data were based on thyroid function tests at admission, Chart audits, and Functional Independent Measures (FIM). Data analysis involved an unpaired t-test and logistic linear regression. Results Overall, 653 patients (306 M and 347 F) were included in the study with a mean age of 74 (± 12.8). While 553 patients had a thyroid stimulation hormone (TSH) within normal limits, 100 patients were found to have an abnormal TSH, of which 81 presented with SCH (TSH 4.6∼19.9), 5 with profound hypothyroids (TSH ≥ 20) and 14 with hyperthyroidism (TSH ≤ 0.2). The incidence of SCH was 12.4%. All patients with SCH had improvement in function with an FIM gain 26.9 (± 19.6), compared to 23.8 (± 18.9) of those patients with normal TSH. The efficiency of rehabilitation was similar in both groups. An interesting finding of note was that those with hyperthyroidism had low FIM scores at both admission and discharge however there was no significant difference in rehabilitation efficiency from other groups. There was no significant difference in length of stay across all groups. Conclusion All patients with SCH have obtained functional gains following rehabilitation treatment. Those with hyperthyroidism have lower FIM scores with the efficiency of rehabilitation being similar in all groups.