Table 1.
Patient characteristics
| Baseline characteristics | |
| Age in years at death, mean (SD) | 67.1 (15.9) |
| Female, n (%) | 23 (46.0) |
| Race, n (%) | |
| White | 44 (88.0) |
| Non-white | 6 (12.0) |
| APACHE II score, mean (SD) | 29.6 (9.3) |
| Location prior to ICU, n (%) | |
| Hospital ward | 21 (42.0) |
| Emergency room | 16 (32.0) |
| Operating room | 1 (2.0) |
| Other hospital—any ward | 11 (22.0) |
| Other (dialysis unit) | 1 (2.0) |
| ICU admitting diagnosis, n (%) | |
| Cardiovascular/vascular | 19 (38.0) |
| Respiratory | 14 (28.00 |
| GI | 6 (12.0) |
| Neurological | 4 (8.0) |
| Sepsis | 6 (12.0) |
| Renal | 1 (2.0) |
| Admission type, n (%) | |
| Medical | 49 (98.0) |
| Surgical | 1 (2.0) |
| On dialysis pre-ICU, n (%) | 10 (20.0) |
| Spiritual belief, n (%) | |
| Catholic | 15 (30.0) |
| Muslim | 2 (4.0) |
| Lutheran | 1 (2.0) |
| Baptist | 4 (8.0) |
| Anglican | 5 (10.0) |
| Agnostic | 7 (14.0) |
| Greek Orthodox | 1 (2.0) |
| Protestant | 2 (4.0) |
| United | 1 (2.0) |
| None | 7 (14.0) |
| Unknown | 5 (10.0) |
| ICU stay | |
| Code status documented on ICU admission, n (%) | |
| Full code | 40 (80.0) |
| No code | 10 (20.0) |
| Advanced life supports administered at any time in ICU, n (%) | |
| Mechanical ventilation | 50 (100.0) |
| Inotropes | 34 (68.0) |
| Dialysis | 21 (42.0) |
| Advanced life supports withdrawn just before death, n (%) | |
| Mechanical ventilation | 33 (66.0) |
| Inotropes | 10 (20.0) |
| Dialysis | 3 (6.0) |
| Advanced life supports withheld, n (%) | |
| Mechanical ventilation | 5 (10.0) |
| Inotropes | 2 (4.0) |
| Dialysis | 10 (20.0) |
| Patient had an explicit wish to die, n (%) | 4 (8.0) |
| Spiritual care consult in ICU, n (%) | 38 (76.0) |
| Palliative care consult in ICU, n (%) | 17 (34.0) |
| Location of death | |
| ICU | 48 (96.0) |
| Emergency room | 1 (2.0) |
| Ward | 1 (2.0) |
| Length of stay | |
| Days from hospital admission to ICU admission, median (IQR) | 0 (0–7) Total range 0–201 |
| Days from ICU admission to death, median (IQR) | 6 (4–13) Total range 0–66 |
| Days from hospital admission to death, median (IQR) | 8 (4–28) Total range 0–209 |
| Days from ICU admission to enrolment in 3 Wishes Program, median (IQR) | 4.5 (2–8) Total range 0–61 |
| Days from enrolment in 3 Wishes Program to death, median (IQR) | 1 (0–2) Total range 0–23 |
| Advanced life support | |
| On mechanical ventilation at any time in ICU, n (%) | 50 (100.0) |
| Duration of mechanical ventilation, median days (IQR) | 6 (5–14) n=50 |
| Received inotropes at any time in ICU, n (%) | 34 (68.0) |
| Duration of receipt of inotropes, median days (IQR) | 4 (2–6) n=34 |
| Patients newly receiving dialysis in ICU (of those who did not receive it prior to ICU), n (%) | 11/40 (27.5) |
| Duration of dialysis in ICU in those newly receiving dialysis in ICU, median days (IQR) | 5 (1–23) n=11 |
In this table, we describe the characteristics of 50 patients enrolled in the 3 Wishes Project cared for by the 33 residents we interviewed.
n=50 patients.
GI, gastrointestinal; ICU, intensive care unit.