Table 1.
Key Time Points During Admission in Relation to Level of Care and Medication Administration
| Places of Care During Admission (n = 364) | Overall Length of Stay | Admission to Recognition of Dying | Recognition of Dying to Death | Recognition of Dying to Death `– HDU/ITU | Recognition of Dying to Death – Level 2 Care | Recognition of Dying to Death – Basic Ward | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–24 hours | 17 (4.7%) | 84 (23.0%) | 96 (26.4%) | 12 (31.6%) | 20 (32.8%) | 62 (23.4%) | ||||||
| 1–3 days | 61 (16.8%) | 65 (17.9%) | 126 (34.6%) | 10 (26.3%) | 24 (39.3%) | 93 (35.2%) | ||||||
| 3–7 days | 108 (29.7%) | 80 (21.9%) | 86 (23.6%) | 7 (18.4%) | 13 (21.3%) | 67 (25.4%) | ||||||
| 7–14 days | 99 (27.2%) | 60 (16.5%) | 26 (7.1%) | 9 (23.7%) | 2 (3.3%) | 16 (6.1%) | ||||||
| 14–21 days | 34 (9.3%) | 24 (6.6%) | 4 (1.1%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 4 (1.5%) | ||||||
| 21–28 days | 25 (6.9%) | 11 (2.6%) | 2 (0.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (0.8%) | ||||||
| 28 days + | 20 (5.5%) | 17 (3.0%) | 1 (0.3%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | ||||||
| Dying not | identified | 0 (0.0%) | 2 (3.3%) | 21 (8.0%) | ||||||||
| Dying | identified | 38 (100%) | 59 (96.7%) | 244 (92.1%) | ||||||||
|
Medications prescribed in the last 24 hours of Life (n = 297) |
||||||||||||
| Timing prior to death dying identified | Anticipatory Medications for all 5 symptoms | Anticipatory medication prescribed but incomplete | No Anticipatory medication prescribed | Syringe Driver Prescribed | PRN opioid Received | PRN Benzodiazepine Received | ||||||
| < 24 hours (n = 83) | 72 | 3 | 8 | 23 (27.7%) | 43 (51.8%) | 44 (53.0%) | ||||||
| 24–72 hours (n = 114) | 104 | 3 | 7 | 59 (51.8%) | 70 (61.4%) | 75 (65.7%) | ||||||
| 3 to 7 days (n = 77) | 71 | 4 | 2 | 40 (51.9%) | 39 (50.6%) | 36 (46.8%) | ||||||
| More than 7 days (n = 23) | 21 | 0 | 2 | 11 (47.8%) | 10 (43.4%) | 10 (43.5%) | ||||||
| Timing of recognition of possibility dying |
PRN Opioid Received in final 24 hours |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number doses |
Total OME 24h dose (mg) |
|||||||||||
| Yes - N/162 | Median | Range | Median | Range | No - N/135 | |||||||
| < 24 hours | 43 | 2 | 1–5 (IQR 1-2.5) | 10 | 2–30 (IQR 5–15) | 40 | ||||||
| 24–72 hours | 70 | 2 | 1–9 (IQR 1-2) | 7.5 | 2–120 (IQR 5–15) | 44 | ||||||
| 3–7 days | 39 | 1 | 1–5 (IQR 1–2) | 5 | 3–50 (IQR 5–10) | 38 | ||||||
| > 7 days | 10 | 1 | 1–2 | 5 | 3–5 | 13 | ||||||
| Timing of recognition of possibility dying |
PRN Benzodiazepine Received in final 24 hours |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number doses |
Total 24h dose (mg) |
|||||||||||
| Yes - N/165 | Median | Range | Median | Range | No - N/132 | |||||||
| < 24 hours | 44 | 1.5 | 1–6 (IQR 1–3) | 2.5 | 2.5–25 (IQR 2.5–7.5) | 39 | ||||||
| 24–72 hours | 75 | 2 | 1–8 (IQR 1–3) | 5 | 2.5–20 (IQR 2.5–7.5) | 39 | ||||||
| 3–7 days | 36 | 2 | 1–4 (IQR 1–2) | 5 | 2.5–20 (IQR 2.5–5) | 41 | ||||||
| > 7 days | 10 | 1.5 | 1–5 (IQR 1–2.75) | 3.8 | 2.5–12.5 (IQR 2.5–6.875) | 13 | ||||||