Table 1.
Patient Characteristics
| Characteristic | Patients, N=117 (%) |
|---|---|
| Men | 70 (60.0) |
| Mean age, years (SD) | 69.4 (11.5) |
| Education | |
| - Literacy | 42 (36.0) |
| - Elementary school | 44 (37.6) |
| - Secondary education | 15 (12.8) |
| - Professional training | 5 (4.3) |
| - Undergraduate degree | 6 (5.1) |
| - High school diploma | 5 (4.3) |
| Cancer type | |
| - Digestive tract | 37 (31.6) |
| - Lung | 29 (24.8) |
| - Prostate | 10 (8.5) |
| - Larynx | 7 (6.0) |
| - Breast | 5 (4.3) |
| - Other | 29 (24.8) |
| Radiotherapy | 35 (30.0) |
| Chemotherapy | 62 (53.0) |
| Karnofsky score ≤50 | 67 (57.3) |
| Oncologic pain | 79 (67.5) |
| Time of pain treatment in days, mean (SD), range | 127 (222.0) 1–1345 |
| Opiatesa | 79 (67.5) |
| - Sustained-release morphine | 23 (19.6) |
| - Short-acting morphine | 17 (14.5) |
| - Fentanyl patch | 30 (25.6) |
| - Short-acting fentanyl | 9 (7.7) |
| - Sustained-release oxycodone | 4 (3.4) |
| - Short-acting oxycodone | 2 (3.0) |
| - Hydromorphone | 3 (2.6) |
| - Buprenorphine | 3 (2.6) |
| - Tramadol | 15 (12.8) |
| Constipation prevention in opiate treatment | 29 (36.7) |
| Analgesics (acetaminophen, metamizol) | 47 (40.2) |
| Diagnosis knowledge | |
| - Completely | 60 (51.3) |
| - Partially | 48(41.0) |
| - No knowledge | 9 (7.7) |
| Home care | 84 (71.8) |
| Diseases | |
| - Cardiovascular | 82 (70.1) |
| - Diabetes and endocrines | 54 (46.1) |
| - COPD | 23 (19.7) |
| - Osteoarthritis | 23 (19.7) |
| - Gastrointestinal | 10 (8.5) |
| - Other | 52 (44.4) |
| Other treatmentsa | |
| - Antisecretory drugs | 53 (45.3) |
| - Cardiovascular | 36 (30.8) |
| - Antidepressives/anxyolitics | 38 (32.5) |
| - Corticoids | 36 (30.8) |
| - Antianorexicos | 9 (7.7) |
| - NSAIDs | 14 (12.0) |
| - Other | 40 (35.5) |
a
percentage exceeds 100%.
SD, standard deviation; COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; NSAIDs, antiinflammatory nonsteroid.