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Table 2 Frequency of potentially inappropriate and appropriate drugs delivered in the final three days of life in hospital and in hospice

From: A comparison of drugs and procedures of care in the Italian hospice and hospital settings: the final three days of life for cancer patients

 

Hospital N = 144

Hospice N = 127

P-value

 

n.

%

n.

%

 

Potentially inappropriate drugs*

     

Antiulcer Drugs

104

72.2

82

64.6

.398

Antibiotics

89

61.8

18

14.2

.000

Steroids

82

56.9

79

62.2

.668

Anticoagulents

73

50.7

43

33.9

.020

Supplements

52

36.1

12

9.4

.000

Antihypertensives

39

26.9

12

9.4

.001

Antiarryhthmics

25

17.4

10

7.9

.067

Replacement Hormones

22

15.3

11

8.7

.251

Vasodilator Drugs

16

11.1

5

3.9

.088

Dopamine

9

6.2

0

0

.016

Number of inappropriate drugs

0

8

5.6

20

15.9

 

1-2

28

19.6

53

42.1

 

3-4

66

45.8

46

36.5

 
 

5+

41

28.7

7

5.6

.000

Potentially appropriate drugs

     

Opioids

97

66.9

112

88.2

.000

Drugs for Nausea/Vomiting

22

15.3

27

21.3

.438

Haloperidol

17

11.8

81

63.8

.000

Midazolam

8

5.6

91

71.7

.000

Drugs for pulmonary secretions

6

4.2

60

47.2

.000

Number of appropriate drugs

0

45

31.3

8

6.3

 
 

1-2

98

68.5

111

88.1

 
 

3-4

-

-

7

5.6

 
 

5+

-

-

-

-

.000

  1. *Use of bisphosphonates was also assessed, but no positive values were returned from either setting.