Table 2 Characteristics according to proven or probable sedation
From: Midazolam sedation in palliative medicine: retrospective study in a French center for cancer control
Characteristics | Proven sedation (N = 48) | Probable sedation (N = 6) | p-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indication | |||||
Immediate risk of death | 21 | 43.8% | 4 | 66.7% | 0.60 |
Refractory symptom | 24 | 50.0% | 2 | 33.3% | |
Existential suffering | 3 | 6.3% | 0 | 0.0% | |
Relief of the patient | |||||
Unrelieved | 3 | 7.1% | 4 | 100.0% | < 0.001 |
Relieved | 36 | 85.7% | 0 | 0.0% | |
Partially relieved | 3 | 7.1% | 0 | 0.0% | |
Unknown | 6 | 2 | |||
Information of the patient | 21 | 43.8% | 1 | 16.7% | 0.38 |
Information of the family | 35 | 72.9% | 4 | 66.7% | 1.00 |
Consent of the patient | 16 | 33.3% | 1 | 16.7% | 0.65 |
Collegiality | 18 | 37.5% | 2 | 33.3% | 1.00 |
On-call duty | 27 | 56.3% | 3 | 50.0% | 1.00 |
Second sedation | 10 | 20.8% | 1 | 16.7% | 1.00 |
Continuous sedation | 48 | 100.0% | 5 | 83.3% | 0.11 |
Titration | 23 | 47.9% | 1 | 16.7% | 0.21 |
Early prescription | 14 | 29.2% | 1 | 16.7% | 1.00 |
Associated opioids | 44 | 91.7% | 5 | 83.3% | 0.46 |
Induction dose (mg) | N = 25 | N = 1 | NDa | ||
Median (range) | 3.0 | (0.5–10) | 3.5 | ||
Mean (sd) | 3.9 | (3.2) | |||
Maintenance dose (mg/h) | N = 48 | N = 6 | 0.68 | ||
Median (range) | 1.0 | (0.2–7) | 1.0 | (0.2–2) | |
Mean (sd) | 1.5 | (1.5) | 1.1 | (0.8) | |
Dose at the time of death (mg/h) | N = 47 | N = 6 | 0.21 | ||
Median (range) | 2.0 | (0.2–24) | 3.0 | (2.5–20) | |
Mean (sd) | 3.4 | (4.0) | 5.7 | (7.0) | |