Table 1

Characteristics of the study population, comparing the palliative and the non-palliative group.


Palliative group
Non-palliative group



Included
N = 43 (19)#
Excluded
N = 36 (16)
Included
N = 117 (53)
Excluded
N = 26 (12)
All patients
N = 222*

Gender





Female
16 (37.2)
16 (44.4)
61 (52.1)
11 (42.3)
104 (46.8)
Male
27 (62.7)
20 (55.6)
56 (47.9)
15 (57.7)
118 (53.1)
Age groups





Age < 31
-
-
13 (11.1)
3 (11.5)
16 (7.2)
Age 31–40
1 (2.3)
-
12 (10.3)
4 (15.4)
17 (7.7)
Age 41–50
2 (4.7)
-
17 (14.5)
2 (7.7)
21 (9.5)
Age 51–60
1 (2.3)
-
23 (19.7)
4 (15.4)
28 (12.6)
Age 61–70
9 (20.9)
2 (5.6)
20 (17.1)
6 (23.1)
37 (16.7)
Age 71–80
19 (44.2)
10 (27.8)
23 (19.7)
4 (17.4)
56 (25.2)
Age 81–90
9 (20.9)
18 (50.0)
7 (6.0)
3 (11.5)
37 (16.7)
Age > 91
2 (4.7)
6 (16.7)
2 (1.7)
-
10 (4.5)
Number of diagnoses





One diagnosis
12 (27.9)
11 (30.6)
62 (53.0)
15 (57.7)
100 (45.0)
Two diagnoses
15 (34.9)
12 (33.3)
36 (30.8)
7 (27.0)
70 (31.5)
Three diagnoses
16 (37.2)
13 (36.1)
19 (16.2)
4 (15.4)
52 (23.4)
Diagnosis





Renal failure
3 (6.9)
1 (2.8)
6 (5.2)
3 (11.5)
13 (5.9)
COPD
14 (32.6)
5 (13.9)
13 (11.1)
1 (3.8)
33 (14.9)
Heart and vascular diseases
21 (48.9)
15 (41.7)
31 (26.5)
6 (23.1)
73 (32.9)
Cancer
16 (37.2)
3 (8.3)
13 (11.1)
2 (7.7)
34 (15.3)
Mean days in hospital
10.6
11.5
8.8
11.8
9.9

# Percentages are given in brackets. Percentages given in the column headings and the column to the far right relate to the total number of patients (222), while percentages given for each of the four subgroups relate to the number of patients within that group.

*232 patients were recorded as inpatients on the day of the study. Ten patients were not asked to participate due to circumstances on their ward.

Sigurdardottir and Haugen BMC Palliative Care 2008 7:16   doi:10.1186/1472-684X-7-16