Table 2.
Patient Characteristics and Pain Levels by Primary Diagnosis Requiring Consultation
| Characteristic | Cancer n=1255 (25.9%) | Surgical n=2163 (46.5%) | Noncancer medical n=528 (11.3%) | Other diagnosis n=712 (15.3%) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age <65 years | 770 (61.4) | 1429 (66.1) | 291 (55.1) | 465 (65.3) | <0.0001 |
| Age 65–74 years | 259 (20.7) | 354 (16.4) | 108 (20.5) | 101 (14.2) | |
| Age 75 years and older | 225 (17.9) | 380 (17.6) | 129 (24.4) | 146 (20.5) | |
| Male gender | 643 (51.2) | 1095 (50.6) | 318 (60.3) | 334 (46.9) | <0.0001 |
| Female gender | 612 (48.8) | 1068 (49.4) | 209 (39.7) | 378 (53.1) | |
| Karnofsky score (mean) | 40.9±20.6 | 69.8±20.2 | 48.2±27.3 | 60.7±24.8 | <0.00001 |
| Mean preconsult LOS | 7.2±16.4 | 3.6±14.8 | 10.5±19.6 | 6.8±17.8 | <0.00001 |
| Initial pain severity | |||||
| None | 252 (21.0) | 164 (8.1) | 116 (23.0) | 52 (7.8) | <0.0001 |
| Mild | 284 (23.7) | 470 (23.3) | 108 (21.4) | 125 (18.8) | |
| Moderate | 327 (27.3) | 795 (39.5) | 146 (29.0) | 261 (39.3) | |
| Severe | 335 (28.0) | 586 (29.1) | 134 (26.6) | 227 (34.1) | |
| Final pain severity | |||||
| None | 502 (54.0) | 372 (20.4) | 167 (44.8) | 175 (31.4) | <0.0001 |
| Mild | 334 (35.9) | 1043 (57.1) | 160 (42.9) | 271 (48.6) | |
| Moderate | 82 (8.8) | 361 (19.8) | 42 (11.3) | 89 (16.0) | |
| Severe | 12 (1.3) | 51 (2.8) | 4 (1.1) | 23 (4.1) | |
| Pain reduceda | 434 (84.8) | 839 (70.3) | 172 (81.1) | 293 (75.9) | <0.0001 |
a
Pain reduced among patients with initial pain severity of moderate or severe, to final pain severity of mild or moderate, n=For each additional day the likelihood of a lower pain level increased 1%.