Retrospective Analysis of Acute Rehabilitation Outcomes of Cancer Inpatients with Leptomeningeal Disease

Objective: Evaluate Functional Independence Measure (FIM) changes and incidence of serious medical complications requiring return to the primary acute care service of acute rehabilitation cancer inpatients with leptomeningeal disease (LMD). Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Tertiary referral based comprehensive cancer center acute inpatient rehabilitation unit. Participants: Thirty cancer patients admitted to acute inpatient rehabilitation between 8 January 2014 and 8 August 2018 with pathology confirmed LMD within 6 months. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: FIM and incidence of return to the primary acute care service. Results: Twenty five of 30 (83.3%) patients were noted to have neurologic impairments and 13/30 (43.3%) were noted to have cognitive impairments. Five of 30 patients (16.7%) received intrathecal chemotherapy and 4/30 (13.3%) received radiation during acute inpatient rehabilitation for LMD treatment. Median days in acute care prior to acute inpatient rehabilitation was 22.5. Median days from acute inpatient rehabilitation admission until death of the 23 deceased patients as of 1 January 2019 was 180.00. Twenty of 30 (66.7%) patients were discharged home, 9/30 (30%) transferred to the primary acute care service, and 1/30 (3.3%) discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Reasons for return to the primary acute care service included additional chemotherapy 3/9 (33%), neurologic decline 2/9 (22%), fever 2/9 (22%), altered mental status 1/9 (11%), and progressive polyarthritis 1/9 (11%). Of the 21 patients who completed acute inpatient rehabilitation without return to the primary acute care service, mean FIM subscore changes from admission to discharge for Activities of Daily Living, Mobility, and Motor were 5.1 (P <.001), 4.8 (P <.001) and 11.7 (P <.001), respectively (Wilcoxon signed rank test, significance P <.05). Conclusion: LMD patients who completed acute inpatient rehabilitation made statistically significant improvements on the majority of FIM items. Most patients were discharged home. Our data suggest LMD should not be a reason for exclusion from acute inpatient rehabilitation. Level of Evidence: III.