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Table 2 Characteristics of sedated patients

From: Continuous palliative sedation for patients with advanced cancer at a tertiary care cancer center

Patients characteristics (n)

203

Seen by palliative care team – n (%)

25 (12.3%)

Disease stage – n (%)

 Locally advanced

3 (1.5%)

 Metastatic

180 (88.7%)

 Incurablea

20 (9.8%)

Admission – n (%)

 Infection

47 (23.5%)

 Dyspnea

45 (21.5%)

 Pain

22 (11%)

 Bowel obstruction

13 (6.5%)

 Venous thromboembolism

3 (1.5%)

 Other

73 (36%)

Reason for sedation – n (%)

 Dyspnea

112 (55.1%)

 Delirium

40 (19.7%)

 Pain

30 (14.8%)

 Bleeding

4 (2%)

 Anxiety

3 (1.5%)

 Other

3 (1.5%)

 Not documented

11 (5.4%)

  1. aDeemed incurable (e.g: local recurrence not amenable to curative treatment)