Table 2.

Variations in End-of-Life Treatment Options Presented on Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment Forms (n = 45)

	Antibiotics	IV fluids	Transfer to hospital	Medication by any route	Oxygen	BiPAP/CPAP	Intubation/ventilation
POLST maturity status	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)	N (%)
POLST maturity status
Mature	2 (66.67)	3 (100)	3 (100)	3 (100)	3 (100)	3 (100)	3 (100)
Endorsed	14 (73.68)	13 (68.42)	19 (100)	19 (100)	19 (100)	18 (94.74)	18 (94.74)
Developing	14 (70.00)	16 (80.00)	20 (100)	20 (100)	20 (100)	18 (90)	17 (85)
Nonconforming	2 (66.67)	1 (33.33)	3 (100)	3 (100)	3 (100)	3 (100)	3 (100)
Frequency mentioned and locations
Mentioned once
Comfort Measures	13 (28.89)	0	0	45 (100)	45 (100)	0	0
Limited treatment	0	28 (62.22)	0	0	0	1 (2.22)	0
Full treatment	15 (33.33)	0	0	0	0	10 (22.22)	36 (80)
Separate section	0	0	4 (8.89)	0	0	0	5 (11.11)
Mentioned twice
Comfort + limited treatment	3 (6.67)	0	7 (15.56)	0	0	0	0
Limited + full treatment	0	5 (11.11)	0	0	0	26 (57.78)	0
Limited + separate section	1 (2.22)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Full + separate section	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mentioned three time
Comfort + limited + full treatment	0	0	34 (75.56)	0	0	0	0
Limited + full + separate section	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total mentioned	32 (71.11)	33 (73.33)	45 (100)	45 (100)	45 (100)	42 (93.33)	41 (91.11)
Not mentioned at all	13 (28.89)	12 (26.67)	0	0	0	3 (6.67)	4 (8.89)
Total	45 (100)	45 (100)	45 (100)	45 (100)	45 (100)	45 (100)	45 (100)

BiPAP, bi-level positive airway pressure; CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure; IV, intravenous.