End-of-life decisions guiding the palliative care of cancer patients visiting emergency department in South Western Finland: a retrospective cohort study

Table 2 The characteristics of late palliative and EOL cancer patients visiting the ED of TUH from August 1 to December 31, in 2013 and 2016, respectively

Characteristics	8–12/2013	8–12/2016	p-value
Number of late palliative and EOL pts visiting the ED^a	77	63	p = 0.30
Late palliative pts	67	61
EOL pts	10	2
Mean age	73	74	NS
Gender			p = 0.004
Female	31	41
Male	46	22
Diagnosis groups^b			p = 0.014
Gastrointestinal cancer	36	15
Lung cancer	11	7
Prostate cancer	10	8
Breast cancer	5	3
Other cancers	22	30
Total	77	63
Indication to the ED visit			p = 0.965
Inability to cope at home	18	15
Definitive surgical problem	14	15
Pain	11	8
Dyspnea	11	7
Infection	9	6
Other	14	12
Total	77	63

^a The late palliative group included patients not receiving chemo- or biological therapies. However, short courses of radiotherapy e.g. to relieve the pain was allowed in this group. The EOL group consisted of imminently dying patients
^b The four largest groups of diagnosis are presented, and the other cancers included in the group “other cancers”

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