Retrospective Cohort Study on the Administration of Sedative for Delirium in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients and Survival Time.
10.14475/kjhpc.2016.19.2.119
- Author:
Hyoung Sook PARK
1
;
Dae Sook KIM
;
Eun Hee BAE
;
Jung Rim KIM
;
Jung Hwa SEO
;
Jung Mi YUN
Author Information
1. College of Nursing, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Terminally ill;
Delirium;
Hypnotics and sedatives;
Survival rate
- MeSH:
Busan;
Cohort Studies*;
Delirium*;
Drug Therapy;
Electronic Health Records;
Haloperidol;
Humans;
Hypnotics and Sedatives;
Mass Screening;
Retrospective Studies*;
Survival Rate;
Terminally Ill*
- From:Korean Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
2016;19(2):119-126
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: This study analyzed the difference in survival time of patients with delirium according to sedative medication. METHODS: From January 2012 through December 2013, a retrospective cohort study was performed using the electronic medical records (EMR) of Pusan National University Hospital. Among 900 patients who died from cancer, we selected 240 who suffered delirium based on the EMR. The Nu-DESC delirium screening test was used to diagnose delirium. RESULTS: The median length of delirium period was five days. Delirium characteristics were dominated by inappropriate behaviors (35.0%). Sedatives were administered in 72.1% of the cases. The most frequently used sedative was haloperidol which was used in 59.6% of cases. The delirium period significantly differed by patients' age (F=3.96, P=0.021), cancer type (F=3.31, P=0.010), chemotherapy (t=−3.44 P=0.001). The average survival time was 16.85 days for the sedative medication group and 9.37 days for the non-medication group, which, however, was not significant (t=1.766, P=0.079). CONCLUSION: In this study, the use of sedatives did not affect patients' survival time. Thus, appropriate sedative medication can be positively recommended to comfort terminal cancer patients and their families.