Table 3.
LLST and AD characteristics depending on timing of LLST
| Early LLST | Late LLST | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 118 (35.2) | 217 (64.8) | ||
| Degree (withdraw vs. withhold) | |||
| Withdraw | 36 (30.5) | 134 (61.8) | < 0.001 |
| Reason | |||
| Patients wish* | 66 (55.9) | 37 (17.1) | < 0.001 |
| SDMs wish* | 13 (11.0) | 58 (26.7) | |
| Medical reason* | 39 (33.1) | 122 (56.2) | |
| ICU mortality | 27 (22.9) | 94 (43.3) | < 0.001 |
| In hospital mortality | 48 (40.7) | 180 (82.9) | < 0.001 |
| Advance directive | |||
| Present | 64 (54.2) | 69 (31.8) | < 0.001 |
| Cardiopulmonary resuscitation | |||
| Allow | 4 (3.4) | 12 (5.5) | 0.013 |
| Refuse | 44 (37.3) | 29 (13.4) | |
| Intubation | |||
| Allow | 4 (3.4) | 18 (8.3) | 0.001 |
| Refuse | 32 (27.1) | 21 (9.7) | |
| ICU care | |||
| Allow | 5 (4.2) | 15 (6.9) | 0.020 |
| Refuse | 17 (14.4) | 12 (5.5) | |
| Artificial feeding | |||
| Allow | 15 (12.7) | 14 (6.5) | 1.000 |
| Refuse | 24 (20.3) | 22 (10.1) | |
| LST | |||
| Allow | 6 (5.1) | 16 (7.4) | 0.043 |
| Refuse | 53 (44.9) | 51 (23.5) | |
| Number of EOL talks (median [IQR]) | 1 [0, 2] | 3 [2, 5] | < 0.001 |
| Sex physician | |||
| Female | 36 (30.5) | 93 (42.9) | 0.314 |
Data shown as n (%) unless otherwise stated. LLST Limitation of Life Sustaining Treatments, SDM surrogate decision maker, ICU Intensive Care Unit, LST Life Sustaining Treatment, EOL End of Life, IQR Inter Quartile Range. Subgroups marked with * were significant in the post-hoc subgroup analysis