Symptoms, care needs and diagnosis in palliative cancer patients in acute care hospitals: A 5-year follow-up survey
(2010) In Acta Oncologica 49(4). p.460-466- Abstract
- Introduction. Palliative cancer care in acute hospitals is scarcely studied. We therefore described and compared symptoms, care needs and types of cancer sites in 2002 compared to 2007 and analysed the relationships between these factors. Methods. The study was population-based with a cross-sectional design and was carried out in medical, surgical and oncology wards in two acute care hospitals with no advanced palliative home care service. In 2002, 82 one-day-inventories were done (1 352 patients) compared to 142 one-day-inventories in 2007 (2 972 patients). Symptoms, care needs and cancer site were registered according to a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyse associations between symptoms, care needs... (More)
- Introduction. Palliative cancer care in acute hospitals is scarcely studied. We therefore described and compared symptoms, care needs and types of cancer sites in 2002 compared to 2007 and analysed the relationships between these factors. Methods. The study was population-based with a cross-sectional design and was carried out in medical, surgical and oncology wards in two acute care hospitals with no advanced palliative home care service. In 2002, 82 one-day-inventories were done (1 352 patients) compared to 142 one-day-inventories in 2007 (2 972 patients). Symptoms, care needs and cancer site were registered according to a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyse associations between symptoms, care needs and cancer site. Results. The proportion of palliative cancer patients had decreased during a five year period (14% vs. 11%, p < 0.01). The patients were older in 2007 (74 vs. 70 years, p < 0.001) and had more symptoms and care needs per patient (2.6 vs. 1.6, p < 0.001). The most common symptoms were pain and deterioration and the most common cancer sites were prostate and colorectal cancer in both samples. Associations between symptoms, care needs and cancer site were mostly weak. Deterioration was associated with colorectal cancer, whereas pain was not associated with any specific cancer site. In haematological malignancies there was a high occurrence of infections and a high need of blood transfusions and infusions. Stomach/oesophagus cancers were significantly associated with nausea, nutritional problems and need of infusions while unknown primary malignancies were associated with abdominal surgery and infusions. Discussion. Although we do not know all the causes for hospitalization, this study indicates that more focus should be on the symptoms instead of the specific cancer diagnosis. The findings also indicate that many palliative cancer patients' problems would be suitable for advanced palliative home care instead of acute hospital care. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1601931
- author
- Sandgren, Anna ; Fridlund, Bengt ; Nyberg, Per LU ; Strang, Peter ; Petersson, Kerstin and Thulesius, Hans
- organization
- publishing date
- 2010
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Acta Oncologica
- volume
- 49
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 460 - 466
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000276762700010
- scopus:77951226535
- pmid:20121671
- ISSN
- 1651-226X
- DOI
- 10.3109/02841860903463991
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Nursing (Closed 2012) (013065000)
- id
- 7fcf5e34-f940-4ed3-aaa0-dfc20e1fc42e (old id 1601931)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 14:47:42
- date last changed
- 2022-01-28 02:31:24
@article{7fcf5e34-f940-4ed3-aaa0-dfc20e1fc42e,
abstract = {{Introduction. Palliative cancer care in acute hospitals is scarcely studied. We therefore described and compared symptoms, care needs and types of cancer sites in 2002 compared to 2007 and analysed the relationships between these factors. Methods. The study was population-based with a cross-sectional design and was carried out in medical, surgical and oncology wards in two acute care hospitals with no advanced palliative home care service. In 2002, 82 one-day-inventories were done (1 352 patients) compared to 142 one-day-inventories in 2007 (2 972 patients). Symptoms, care needs and cancer site were registered according to a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were used to analyse associations between symptoms, care needs and cancer site. Results. The proportion of palliative cancer patients had decreased during a five year period (14% vs. 11%, p < 0.01). The patients were older in 2007 (74 vs. 70 years, p < 0.001) and had more symptoms and care needs per patient (2.6 vs. 1.6, p < 0.001). The most common symptoms were pain and deterioration and the most common cancer sites were prostate and colorectal cancer in both samples. Associations between symptoms, care needs and cancer site were mostly weak. Deterioration was associated with colorectal cancer, whereas pain was not associated with any specific cancer site. In haematological malignancies there was a high occurrence of infections and a high need of blood transfusions and infusions. Stomach/oesophagus cancers were significantly associated with nausea, nutritional problems and need of infusions while unknown primary malignancies were associated with abdominal surgery and infusions. Discussion. Although we do not know all the causes for hospitalization, this study indicates that more focus should be on the symptoms instead of the specific cancer diagnosis. The findings also indicate that many palliative cancer patients' problems would be suitable for advanced palliative home care instead of acute hospital care.}},
author = {{Sandgren, Anna and Fridlund, Bengt and Nyberg, Per and Strang, Peter and Petersson, Kerstin and Thulesius, Hans}},
issn = {{1651-226X}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{460--466}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Acta Oncologica}},
title = {{Symptoms, care needs and diagnosis in palliative cancer patients in acute care hospitals: A 5-year follow-up survey}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/02841860903463991}},
doi = {{10.3109/02841860903463991}},
volume = {{49}},
year = {{2010}},
}