Spain | Sweden | |||||
All (n=249) | Male (n=162) | Female (n=87) | All (n=264) | Male (n=135) | Female (n=129) | |
Age; mean, (range) SD | 65.6, (28–92) 13.7 | 67.4, (32–92) 12.2 | 62.3, (28–91) 15.8 | 71.5, (38–98) 11.4*** | 72.3, (38–98) 10.8*** | 70.7, (45–94) 12.1*** |
No of symptoms and care needs per patient; mean, median (range) | 2.9, 3 (1–8) | 2.8, 3 (1–8) | 3.1, 3 (1–6) | 3.0, 3 (1–9) | 3.0, 3 (1–8) | 3.0, 3 (1–9) |
Connected to palliative team; % | 62.2*** | 60.5*** | 65.5*** | 22.3 | 20.7 | 24 |
Symptoms/care needs; % | ||||||
Abdominal surgery | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 3.9 |
Blood transfusion | 6.4 | 6.8 | 5.7 | 12.1* | 14.1* | 10.1 |
Diagnostic procedure | 11.4 | 14.2 | 5.7 | 20.5** | 19.3 | 21.7** |
Deterioration | 61.8*** | 63.0*** | 59.8* | 40.2 | 37.0 | 43.4 |
Fatigue | 22.1 | 21.0 | 24.1 | 30.3* | 30.4 | 30.2 |
Infection | 16.9 | 14.8 | 20.7 | 23.1 | 26.7* | 19.4 |
Infusion | 8.8 | 7.4 | 11.5 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 7.8 |
Nausea | 20.1 | 15.4 | 28.7 | 16.7 | 13.3 | 20.2 |
Nutrition | 15.7 | 16.7 | 13.8 | 20.8 | 23.0 | 18.6 |
Obstipation | 12.4* | 10.5 | 16.1* | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.0 |
Pain | 50.2* | 46.9 | 56.3* | 40.5 | 41.5 | 39.5 |
Pleuracentes | 1.6 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 6.4** | 6.7** | 6.2 |
Palliative radiotherapy | 1.2 | – | 3.4 | 17.0*** | 17.8*** | 16.3** |
Psychosocial issues | 8.4** | 8.6* | 8.0** | 1.9 | 3.0 | 0.8 |
Social problems | 14.1* | 14.2 | 13.8 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 8.5 |
Palliative surgery | 7.6 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 9.8 | 10.4 | 9.3 |
Significant difference between the countries (indicated with * at the higher value).
*P<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.