Evaluation of cancer patients admitted to the emergency department within one month before death in Turkey: what are the problems needing attention?

BACKGROUND Although previously studies have reported that most patients with malignancy prefer to die at home, this is not the real situation in clinical practice. AIM In this study, we aimed to determine the characteristics of Turkish cancer patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) within one month before death. MATERIALS AND METHOD This descriptive retrospective study focused on questions about how often and why patients with cancer visited the ED before death. A total of 107 individuals with cancer were divided into 2 groups: Group 1, patients with at least one visit in the final 4 weeks; and Group 2, patients with no visit to ED. Demographic and clinical features were compared between the two groups. STATISTICAL ANALYSES Descriptive statistical methods, statistical analysis for correlation, Student's t-test, chi-square tests and logistic regression were used. RESULTS At least one visit to ED within one month before death was reported for 64 (60%) of the 107 cases. Of these 64 (Group 1), 38% (n=24) were discharged and 9% (n=6) died in the ED. The most common site of the primary tumor was the lung (n=24, 38%) and the most common symptom was dyspnea (92%). With the other 43 (40%) cancer patients not presenting to the ED within one month before death, they were more likely to be female with another type of cancer. CONCLUSIONS Guidelines are needed for better management of cancer patients benefiting from visits to ED within the last month of life .