The MRS for post stroke patient

What is the purpose of the scale?

The Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) is a simple one-item rating scale to check how patients are doing after a stroke. It helps figure out how independent they are by looking at what they could do before the stroke instead of just how well they perform specific tasks now.

Background

The Rankin Scale was created back in 1957 in Scotland to help gauge how disabled someone is after having an acute stroke. It started with five levels of disability, but then in 1988, during a study looking at aspirin for stroke prevention, they updated it and called it the modified Rankin scale (MRS). They even added a new level for patients who have no symptoms at all and tweaked the descriptions for the first two levels to make things clearer. These updates were all about making it more comprehensive, addressing issues with language and thinking, making it easier to compare different patients, and linking back to what they could do before.

The mRS scale ranges from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater disability. The scores represent increasing levels of disability, from no symptoms (0) to death (6)

Assessment typically includes discussions with the patient or caregiver. While the mRS is helpful, it may face problems with subjectivity and reliability. Structured interviews and specific tools can improve reliability, and it’s recommended to assess patients three months after a stroke. In clinical trials, the mRS is often split into two categories, but it’s important to also consider other factors like comorbidities and socioeconomic status, which affect quality of life and independence.

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