Patterns of paediatric end-of-life care: a chart review across different care settings in Switzerland

BMC Pediatrics

Table 3 Interventions and medications during the last four weeks of life

	Total N = 149 (100%)	Cardiology n = 19 (13%)	Neonatology n = 57 (38%)	Neurology n = 36 (24%)	Oncology n = 37 (25%)	p-value
Interventions requiring anaesthesia	n = 148^a			n = 35^a
Yes, n (%)	51 (34)	11 (58)	21 (37)	6 (17)	13 (35)	0.021^b
Mechanical ventilation
Yes, n (%)	94 (63)	14 (74)	55 (97)	15 (42)	10 (27)	< 0.001^b
ECMO
Yes, n (%)	7 (5)	4 (21)	3 (5)	0 (0)	0 (0)	< 0.001^b
Presence of CAD	n = 148^a				n = 36^a
Yes, n (%)	106 (72)	14 (74)	55 (97)	12 (33)	25 (69)	< 0.001^b
Enteral feeds via nasogastric or gastrostomy tube	n = 148^a			n = 35^a
Yes, n (%)	114 (77)	17 (90)	51 (90)	33 (94)	13 (35)	< 0.001^b
Medication count in the last week of life^c	n = 146^a			n = 35^a	n = 35^a
Mdn, (range)	12 (1 - 46)	19 (3 - 45)	12 (1 - 34)	10 (3 - 39)	13 (4 - 46)	0.006^b
Mean, (SD)	14 (9.15)	21 (11.73)	12 (7.02)	13 (8.82)	15 (9.69)	0.006^b
Pain medication	n = 148^a			n = 35^a
Yes, n (%)	140 (95)	18 (95)	54 (95)	33 (94)	35 (95)	1.000^b
Anxiolytic medication	n = 145^a			n = 35^a	n = 34^a
Yes, n (%)	84 (58)	14 (74)	27 (47)	18 (51)	25 (74)	0.032^b
Antiemetic medication	n = 146^a			n = 35^a	n = 35^a
Yes, n (%)	25 (17)	2 (11)	0 (0)	0 (0)	23 (66)	< 0.001^b

ECMO Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, CAD Central access device, either venous or arterial
^aInformation was missing for some cases
^bAcross the four groups, based on likelihood ratio chi-square
^cIncludes both standing daily dosages and as-needed orders

ISSN: 1471-2431