Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients before and after the start of PPC program (n = 257)
Characteristics | Oncology Alone Group (2013–2017) | Oncology and PPC Group (2018–2022) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
n= (136) | n= (121) | ||
Sex Male, n (%) | 84 (61.8) | 67 (55.4) | 0.299 |
Age [Years], median (IQR) | 10 (4–14) | 10 (5–15) | 0.670 |
Hospital stay [days], median (IQR) | 18 (7–42) | 18 (7–58) | 0.470 |
Type of cancer, n (%) | |||
Leukemia | 65 (47.8) | 54 (44.6) | 0.611 |
Lymphoma | 4 (2.9) | 3 (2.5) | 0.820 |
Solid Tumor | 36 (26.5) | 31 (25.6) | 0.877 |
Central Nervous System Tumor | 26 (19.1) | 25 (20.7) | 0.757 |
Rare Childhood Malignancy | 5 (3.7) | 8 (6.6) | 0.284 |
Treatment goal offered for cancer, n (%) | |||
Palliative | 57 (41.9) | 50 (41.3) | 0.924 |
Curative | 79 (58.1) | 71 (58.7) | 0.924 |
Signs and symptoms 72 h before death, n (%) | |||
Pain | 67 (49.3) | 56 (46.3) | 0.633 |
Dyspnea | 73 (53.7) | 66 (54.5) | 0.889 |
Seizures | 34 (25) | 25 (20.7) | 0.409 |
Agitation | 30 (22.1) | 13 (10.7) | 0.015 |
Anxiety | 18 (13.2) | 6 (4.9) | 0.023 |
Intervention, n (%) | |||
Psychology Consultationa | 115 (84.6) | 114 (94.2) | 0.013 |
Social Work Consultationa | 74 (54.4) | 85 (70.2) | 0.009 |
Advance Care Planning | 85 (62.5) | 96 (79.3) | 0.006 |
Use of Opioids | 120 (88.2) | 110 (90.9) | 0.485 |