Table 1.
Sample demographic and clinical characteristics
| Variable | Cases (n = 133) | Controls (n = 133) | Total (n = 266) | Statistical comparison between groups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (median, range) | 73 (19–96) | 65 (20–97) | — | Mann-Whitney = 6689.50, P = 0.001 |
| Reason for admission (n) | χ2 = 10.24, P = 0.176 | |||
| Orthopedic | 29 | 28 | 57 | |
| Cardiac | 24 | 29 | 53 | |
| Cancer | 27 | 17 | 44 | |
| Gastrointestinal/genitourinary | 20 | 23 | 43 | |
| Neurologic | 12 | 11 | 23 | |
| Pulmonary | 10 | 8 | 18 | |
| Elective surgery | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
| Other | 5 | 15 | 20 | |
| Medical context (n) | χ2 = 0.031, P = 0.859 | |||
| Acute care | 114 | 115 | 229 | |
| Critical care | 19 | 18 | 37 | |
| Medical error (n) | χ2 = 228.17, P < 0.001 | |||
| Incorrect dose | 11 | 11 | 22 | |
| Incorrect route | 3 | 3 | 6 | |
| Incorrect drug | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Without prescription | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Incorrect patient | 1 | — | 1 | |
| Incorrect drug and route | 1 | — | 1 | |
| Discontinued | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Equianalgesia in milligrams of morphine per os over 24 h (median, range) | 50 (1.25–2550) | 50 (5–480) | — | Mann-Whitney = 8637.50, P = 0.741 |