Table 1.
Characteristics of patients and relatives
| Patients (n = 126) | Median (25th-75th) or n (%) |
|---|---|
| Age, years |
67 (57-75) |
| Male |
79 (62) |
| WHO performance scale - stage 3 or 4£ |
71 (57) |
| Body mass index, kg.m-2 |
26 (22-32) |
| SAPS II |
30 (23-40) |
| Symptoms of anxiety at baseline |
31 (24) |
| Symptoms of depression at baseline |
26 (20) |
| Time since COPD diagnosis, months |
36 (9-240) |
| COPD management |
|
| Regular general practitioner visits |
110 (87) |
| Regular pulmonologist visits |
76 (60) |
| First hospitalization for COPD exacerbation |
35 (28) |
| First ICU admission |
58 (46) |
| Had prior knowledge of respiratory disease |
107 (84) |
|
Relatives (n = 102) |
|
| Tie with the patient |
|
| Spouse |
55 (54) |
| Children |
10 (10) |
| Brother/sister |
3 (3) |
| Father/mother |
5 (5) |
| Other family tie |
17 (17) |
| Friends |
12 (11) |
| Only caregivers at home |
38 (37) |
| Had prior knowledge of patient’s respiratory disease |
87 (87) |
| Since, months | 60 (24-120) |
£WHO performance scale: World Health Organization performance scale to describe how well patients are. This score ranged from 0 to 5, is also called performance status [19]. COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; ICU, intensive care unit; SAPS II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II.