Post-intensive care rehabilitation is a concept born in the 2000th years to designate the rehabilitation of the patients with consciousness troubles and/or severe visceral impairments, after intensive care units.

The Bouffard-Vercelli Centre obtains, in 1982, the authorization for 20 beds of “rehabilitation in intensive care”, become, in 2002, “post-intensive care rehabilitation”. The capacity of this unit, dedicated to coma awakening and to take care for visceral impairments, particularly respiratory ones, varied from 20 to 30 beds (currently 22 beds+8 beds dedicated to chronic vegetative and little relationship status. We have studied its activity.

During 33 years, the unit received 1948 patients (59 by year on average), with a medium stay of 154 days, 66% of brain injured patients (half in awakening phase), 25% of spinal cord injured patients (with artificial respiration) and 9% of others pathologies (peripheral nervous, cardiovascular or respiratory ones). The death level is 17%, the return to home level, directly or after specialized rehabilitation, is 49%. The others (34%) are institutionalized.

The post-intensive care rehabilitation is a particular reality within continuation and rehabilitation care, particularly specialized for the care in nervous system disease. It's out of the 2008 decrees and its place within this care is discussed.