Prevalence of Distressing Symptoms in Hospitalized Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Sigurdardottir Katrin Ruth, Haugen Dagny Faksvåg
Primary Institution: Haukeland University Hospital
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of distressing symptoms in hospitalized patients on medical wards?
Conclusion
More than one third of the patients in a Department of Internal Medicine were defined as palliative, and the majority of the patients in this palliative group reported severe symptoms.
Supporting Evidence
- 35.6% of patients were defined as palliative.
- 70% of palliative patients reported dyspnea.
- 56% reported fatigue.
- 41% reported depression.
- 30% reported pain at rest.
Takeaway
Many patients in the hospital feel really bad, and a lot of them need special care to help with their symptoms.
Methodology
Cross-sectional study using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) to assess symptoms in hospitalized patients.
Potential Biases
Staff may have underestimated the number of palliative patients due to restrictive definitions.
Limitations
The study only focused on symptom prevalence and did not assess other needs like spiritual or psychological support.
Participant Demographics
The palliative group had more older patients, with 80% above 70 years of age.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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