Inpatient Rehabilitation Admission Rate and Functional Improvement in Pediatric Patients with Autoimmune Encephalitis

This study aimed to investigate the inpatient rehabilitation admission rate and the degree of functional improvement made during the course of acute inpatient rehabilitation (AIR) among pediatric patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE). A retrospective chart review was conducted for pediatric patients admitted to the study site (01/2014-03/2018) with a diagnosis of AE. Data obtained from chart review focused on the transition of patients diagnosed with AE on the general pediatric service to AIR as well as functional improvements as measured with Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) from AIR admission to discharge. The prevalence of AE within the general pediatrics admissions was 0.2%, of which 94% (16/17) were referred and admitted to AIR. Patients with AE who underwent AIR (length of stay: median[range] = 8 [5-149] days) showed significant improvements in thirteen out of the eighteen WeeFIM items (p<.027). Nine WeeFIM items showed functional improvements representing transitions from complete dependence on AIR admission to modified independence at discharge. Although results from this cohort point to the benefits of AIR for pediatric patients with autoimmune encephalitis, larger studies are needed to understand factors associated with improvements observed during AIR.