Table 4.

Effects of ICU Procedures on Patients’ Suffering and Loss of Dignity

Treatment/Procedure	Full Sample (N = 200)		Association With Suffering (N = 193)		Association With Loss of Dignity (N = 175)
	n	%	AOR	P	AOR	P
Surgical procedure	27	13.5	0.81	0.664	1.25	0.626
Cardiac resuscitation	63	31.5	1.43	0.221	1.76	0.121
Vasopressors
No	27	13.5	1.00	Ref.	1.00	Ref.
Yes, then withdrawn	44	22.0	0.91	0.873	1.12	0.884
Yes, then sustained	129	64.5	1.51	0.383	2.00	0.381
Dialysis
No	133	66.5	1.00	Ref.	1.00	Ref.
Yes, then withdrawn	16	8.0	0.90	0.833	1.81	0.251
Yes, then sustained	51	25.5	2.53	0.013	3.15	0.011
Mechanical ventilation
No	36	18.0	1.00	Ref.	1.00	Ref.
Yes, then withdrawn	48	24.0	0.50	0.118	0.58	0.213
Yes, then sustained	116	58.0	0.96	0.925	1.52	0.339
Feeding tube
No	74	37.0	1.00	Ref.	1.00	Ref.
Yes, then withdrawn	32	16.0	0.48	0.090	0.68	0.408
Yes, then sustained	94	47.0	1.17	0.691	3.12	0.011

ICU = intensive care unit; AOR = adjusted odds ratio; Ref. = reference.

AOR adjusted for ICU admission diagnosis (sepsis vs. other primary cardiac vs. all others) and hematologic malignancy.