Table 4.
Prescriptions via the various routes of administration at the day of admission (Ta) and the day of death (Td); given in descending order for the day of death
| Routes of administration | Ta (N = 194) | Td (N = 202) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | Number of drugs per patient (median; IQR) | N (%) | Number of drugs per patient (median; IQR) | |
| Subcutaneous | 93 (47.9) | 1 (1–2) | 189 (93.6) | 3 (2–3) |
| Transdermal | 31 (16.0) | 1 | 64 (31.7) | 1 |
| Oral, liquid | 115 (59.3) | 1 | 47 (23.3) | 1 |
| Oral, solid | 173 (89.2) | 4 (3–6) | 43 (21.3) | 3 (2–5) |
| Intramuscular | 5 (2.6) | 28 (13.9) | ||
| Cutaneous* | 15 (7.7) | 16 (7.9) | ||
| Inhalation | 29 (14.9) | 12 (5.9) | ||
| Rectal | 20 (10.3) | 11 (5.4) | ||
| Intravenous | 4 (2.1) | 3 (1.5) | ||
| Ocular | 4 (2.1) | 2 (1.0) | ||
| Intravesical | – | 2 (1.0) | ||
| Intrathecal | – | 1 (0.5) | ||
| Nasal | 1 (0.5) | 1 (0.5) | ||
* The cutaneous route is used for local skin treatment