Table 2

The number, frequency duration, severity of presenting symptoms of patients at initial assessment by the home based care service
Symptom on first presentation
 Number and Percentage of patients with symptoma
 Duration of symptoms prior to presentation in daysa
 Persistence of symptom after treatment dispensed at time of initial assessment in daysb
 Frequency of recurring symptom per yearb

number
 %
 median
 75 percentile
 90 percentile
 median
 75 percentile
 95 percentile
 median
 75 percentile
 95 percentile
Headache
 267
 74


14
 29
 189
 1.9
 3.2
 7.7
Fever
 253
 70
 4
 14
 52
 14
 35
 117
 1.7
 4.0
 9.4
Chest pain
 245
 68


14
 42
 167
 2.2
 4.7
 8.9
Shortness of breath
 241
 67








Cough
 239
 66
 4
 15
 36
 19
 45
 150
 2.6
 4.1
 9.1
SOB walking
 221
 61








Stomach pains
 215
 60








Poor appetite
 205
 57


12
 21
 92
 0.9
 3.4
 7.9
Lower limb pain
 163
 45


28
 68
 199
 1.6
 3.2
 7.1
Nausea or vomiting
 143
 40








Diarrhoea
 140
 39
 3
 12
 52
 7
 14
 70
 0.0
 3.4
 9.4
Problem swallowing
 121
 34








Skin problems
 122
 34








SOB doing nothing
 107
 30








Thrush
 89
 29


8
 27
 195


Previous shingles
 101
 28








Other pain
 97
 27








Itchy rash
 93
 26


14
 50
 298
 0.0
 1.3
 4.5
Genital ulcers
 46
 13








Urethral discharge
 40
 11








Mouth ulcers
 37
 10








Note a calculated from initial assessment data

b calculated using follow up data

Bowie et al. BMC Palliative Care 2006 5:1   doi:10.1186/1472-684X-5-1