Table 1 Patients’ characteristics
Characteristics | N = 182 |
|---|---|
Age (years) | 73 ± 15 |
Female sex | 112 (61.5) |
Marital status | |
Single | 17 (9.3) |
Married | 109 (59.9) |
Widowed | 56 (30.8) |
Residence type (missing = 20) | |
Rented residence | 27 (14.8) |
Owner of residence | 117 (64.3) |
Nursing home | 18 (9.9) |
Palliative care consultation before arrival | 6 (3.3) |
Cancer | 98 (53.8) |
Ongoing treatment | 10 (5.5) |
Relapsed | 7 (3.8) |
Metastasis | 81 (44.5) |
Acknowledgement of own disease(s) | 142 (78) |
Palliative performance score | 30 (10, 50) |
Primary chief complaint | |
Dyspnea | 79 (43.4) |
Altered mental status | 32 (17.6) |
Fever | 18 (9.9) |
Gastrointestinal symptoms | 10 (5.5) |
Bleeding | 5 (2.7) |
Genitourinary symptoms | 4 (2.2) |
Pain | 3 (1.6) |
Others | 31 (17) |
Reason(s) of ED visit | |
Cannot control symptoms | 146 (80) |
Need to work-up other causes | 66 (36.3) |
No medical equipment at home | 33 (18.1) |
Cannot be left to die at home | 28 (15.4) |
Suggested by medical personnel | 17 (9.3) |
Previous advance care plan (missing = 2) | |
Yes | 110 (60.4) |
Yes, with living will | 9 (4.9) |
Yes, with documented medical record | 33 (18.1) |
No | 70 (38.5) |
Preferred place of dead (missing = 3) | |
Home | 29 (15.9) |
Hospital | 17 (9.3) |
Nursing home | 1 (0.5) |
No plan | 132 (72.5) |
ED Interventions | |
Antibiotics | 152 (83.5) |
Bedside procedure, i.e., debridement, paracentesis | 12 (6.6) |
Inotropic drugs | 20 (11) |
Morphine | 63 (34.6) |
ED primary diagnosis | |
Respiratory tract infection | 72 (39.6) |
Urinary tract infection | 26 (14.3) |
Progression of cancer | 21 (11.5) |
End-stage renal disease | 3 (1.6) |
Cardiovascular problem | 8 (4.4) |
Gastrointestinal problem | 20 (11.0) |
Sepsis | 24 (13.2) |
Others | 8 (4.4) |
ED disposition | |
Admit inpatient ward | 75 (41.2) |
Admit palliative ward | 18 (9.9) |
Death | 42 (23.1) |
Discharge alive | 32 (17.6) |
Refer | 15 (8.2) |
ED length of stay (days) | 2 (1,4) |