Table 2.
Numbers of people with cancer and cardiorespiratory disease who were prescribed palliative medications.
| Name | BNF reference | Cancer n (%) | Non-malignant disease n (%) | P-valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laxatives | 1.6 | 45 (42.9) | 9 (19.6) | 0.006 |
| Diuretics | 2.2 | 27 (25.7) | 25 (54.3) | <0.001 |
| Benzodiazepines | 4.1 | 9 (8.6) | 4 (8.7) | 0.6 |
| Antipsychotic drugs | 4.2 | 8 (7.6) | 1 (2.2) | 0.2 |
| Antidepressants | 4.3 | 12 (11.4) | 2 (4.3) | 0.2 |
| Antiemetics | 4.6 | 36 (34.3) | 1 (2.2) | <0.001 |
| Non-opiate analgesics | 4.7.1 | 65 (61.9) | 26 (56.5) | 0.4 |
| Opiate analgesics | 4.7.2 | 60 (57.1) | 6 (13) | <0.001 |
| Analgesics | 4.7 | 86 (81.9) | 28 (60.9) | 0.01 |
| NSAIDsb | 10.1 | 24 (22.9) | 2 (4.3) | 0.004 |
| Saline nebules | 3.2 | 4 (3.8) | 4 (8.7) | 0.2 |
| Oxygen | 3.6 | 6 (5.7) | 17 (37.0) | <0.001 |
| Dexamethasone | 6.3 | 19 (18.1) | 0 (0) | 0.001 |
| Antiepileptics | 4.8 | 3 (2.9) | 0 (0) | 0.3 |
aDifference between proportion of patients with cancer and non-malignant disease prescribed each drug/group (χ2).
bNon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.