Factors associated with emergency services use in Taiwanese advanced cancer patients receiving palliative home care services during out-of-hours periods: a retrospective medical record study

Table 3 Univariate logistic regression analyses of factors associated with emergency services use in advanced cancer patients during out-of-hours periods of palliative home care (N = 65)

Variable	Odds ratio	95% CI	p value
Sex (male versus female)	0.46	0.16 to 1.25	0.130
Age (year)	1.01	0.97 to 1.05	0.693
Type of cancer
Liver	0.94	0.30 to 2.83	0.910
Colorectal	0.43	0.09 to 1.65	0.249
Lung	1.16	0.34 to 3.85	0.805
Other	1.59	0.55 to 4.61	0.388
ECOG performance status (level 4 versus level 3)	0.41	0.14 to 1.12	0.088
Urbanization level of residence (urban versus suburban or rural)	0.76	0.23 to 2.36	0.645
Caretaker
In-home nurse only	0.41	0.10 to 1.36	0.166
Spouse only	1.79	0.65 to 4.97	0.260
In-home nurse and spouse	2.63	0.67 to 11.34	0.170
Other	0.43	0.09 to 1.65	0.249
Clinical symptoms or signs
Pain	0.21	0.06 to 0.66	0.009
Infection or fever	0.54	0.19 to 1.46	0.226
Nausea or vomiting	0.70	0.17 to 2.54	0.603
Constipation	0.89	0.17 to 3.98	0.878
Dyspnea	1.51	0.59 to 4.15	0.418
Change of consciousness	2.42	0.77 to 7.90	0.132
Gastrointestinal bleeding	2.51	0.70 to 9.52	0.159
Composite distressing condition^a	3.89	1.07 to 16.24	0.045
Mean daily oral morphine equivalent dose prior to emergency admission	0.99	0.97 to 1.00	0.224

95% CI 95% confidence interval, ECOG Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
^aThe composite distressing condition variable was defined as the occurring of two of the following three symptoms and signs: dyspnea, change of consciousness, and gastrointestinal bleeding

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