Table 6.
Corticosteroid prescribing events by indication in the six sample hospices
| Indication | Number of prescribing events (%) | 95% Confidence limits |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Non-specific |
126 (40.4%) |
34.6% – 46.1% |
| 2. Neurological: |
79 (25.3%) |
20.3% – 30.3% |
| 3. Capsular stretching |
14 (4.5%) |
2.2% – 6.8% |
| 4. Soft tissue infiltration |
45 (14.4%) |
10.4% – 18.4% |
| 5. Tenesmus |
3 (1.0%) |
0.0% – 2.0% |
| 6. Inflammation with syringe driver sites |
10 (3.2%) |
1.3% – 5.1% |
| 7. Not clear/other |
30 (9.6%) |
6.2% – 13.0% |
| 8. Chemotherapy |
5 (1.6%) |
0.0% – 3.2% |
| Total | 312* (100%) |
*There were 312 separate corticosteroid prescribing events documented in the case notes of the 260 patients reviewed.