Characteristics of palliative care and hospice services that managed patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 by region
| UK (n=248) | Rest of Europe (n=60) | Rest of the world (n=49) | Total | |
| Protocols for symptom management (n/N, %) | ||||
| No | 14/231 (6.1) | 8/52 (15.4) | 10/41 (24.4) | 32/324 (9.9) |
| Yes | 216/231 (93.5) | 44/52 (84.6) | 29/41 (70.7) | 289/324 (89.2) |
| Not sure | 1/231 (0.4) | 0/52 | 2/41 (4.9) | 3/324 (0.9) |
| Missing | 17 | 8 | 8 | 34* |
| Protocol sources for symptom management (n/N, %) | ||||
| Locally developed guidance | 181/216 (83.8) | 34/44 (77.3) | 23/29 (79.3) | 238/289 (82.4) |
| National Institute for Health and Care Excellence | 123/216 (56.9) | 6/44 (13.6) | 0/29 | 129/289 (44.6) |
| National Health Service | 125/216 (57.9) | 9/44 (20.5) | 2/29 (6.9) | 136/289 (47.1) |
| Other | 86/216 (39.8) | 21/44 (47.7) | 9/29 (31) | 116/289 (40.1) |
| Opioid prescribing for breathlessness (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 201/204 (98.5) | 44/46 (95.7) | 28/32 (87.5) | 273/282 (96.8) |
| Missing | 44 | 14 | 17 | 76* |
| Benzodiazepine prescribing for breathlessness (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 169/204 (82.8) | 22/46 (47.8) | 14/32 (43.8) | 205/282 (72.7) |
| Missing | 44 | 14 | 17 | 76* |
| Oxygen prescribing for breathlessness (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 52/204 (25.5) | 16/46 (34.8) | 8/32 (25) | 76/282 (27) |
| Missing | 44 | 14 | 17 | 76* |
| How quickly medicines for breathlessness worked (n/N, %) | ||||
| <30 min | 29/42 (69) | 8/8 (100) | 6/7 (85.7) | 43/57 (75.4) |
| >31min† | 12/42 (28.6) | 0/8 | 1/7 (14.3) | 13/57 (22.8) |
| Varies | 1/42 (2.4) | 0/8 | 0/7 | 1/57 (1.8) |
| Benzodiazepine prescribing for agitation (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 193/201 (96) | 40/46 (87) | 22/30 (73.3) | 255/277 (92.1) |
| Missing | 47 | 14 | 19 | 81* |
| Antipsychotic prescribing for agitation (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 159/201 (79.1) | 33/46 (71.7) | 21/30 (70) | 213/277 (76.9) |
| Missing | 47 | 14 | 19 | 81* |
| Barbiturate prescribing for agitation (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 4/201 (2) | 0/46 | 1/30 (3.3) | 5/277 (1.8) |
| Missing | 47 | 14 | 19 | 81* |
| How quickly medicines for agitation worked (n/N, %) | ||||
| <30 min | 23/31 (74.2) | 3/6 (50) | 2/5 (40) | 28/42 (66.7) |
| >31min† | 7/31 (22.6) | 2/6 (33.3) | 2/5 (40) | 11/42 (26.2) |
| Varies | 1/31 (3.2) | 1/6 (16.7) | 1/5 (20) | 3/42 (7.1) |
| UK (n=248) | Rest of Europe (n=60) | Rest of the world (n=49) | Total | |
| Opioid prescribing for cough (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 173/180 (96.1) | 40/41 (97.6) | 25/30 (83.3) | 238/251 (94.8) |
| Missing | 68 | 19 | 19 | 107* |
| Cough linctus prescribing for cough (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 73/180 (40.6) | 2/41 (4.9) | 1/30 (3.3) | 76/251 (30.3) |
| Missing | 68 | 19 | 19 | 107* |
| Nebulised saline prescribing for cough (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 8/180 (4.4) | 2/41 (4.9) | 0/30 | 10/251 (4) |
| Missing | 68 | 19 | 19 | 107* |
| How quickly medicines for cough worked (n/N, %) | ||||
| <30 min | 10/14 (71.4) | 3/4 (75) | 0/3 | 13/21 (61.9) |
| >31min† | 4/14 (28.6) | 1/4 (25) | 2/3 (66.7) | 7/21 (33.3) |
| Varies | 0/14 | 0/4 | 1/3 (33.3) | 1/21 (4.8) |
| Paracetamol prescribing for fever (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 198/199 (99.5) | 42/44 (95.5) | 27/29 (93.1) | 267/272 (98.2) |
| Missing | 49 | 16 | 20 | 86* |
| NSAID prescribing for fever (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 38/199 (19.1) | 4/44 (9.1) | 4/29 (13.8) | 46/272 (16.9) |
| Missing | 49 | 16 | 20 | 86* |
| Metamizole prescribing for fever (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 0/199 | 14/44 (31.8) | 1/29 (3.4) | 15/272 (5.5) |
| Missing | 49 | 16 | 20 | 86* |
| How quickly medicines for fever worked (n/N, %) | ||||
| <30 min | 11/26 (42.3) | 3/4 (75) | 3/7 (42.9) | 17/37 (45.9) |
| >31min† | 14/26 (53.8) | 1/4 (25) | 4/7 (57.1) | 19/37 (51.4) |
| Varies | 1/26 (3.8) | 0/4 | 0/7 | 1/37 (2.7) |
| Opioid prescribing for pain (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 175/177 (98.9) | 40/40 (100) | 29/30 (96.7) | 244/247 (98.8) |
| Missing | 71 | 20 | 19 | 110 |
| Paracetamol prescribing for pain (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 52/177 (29.4) | 13/40 (32.5) | 9/30 (30) | 74/247 (30) |
| Missing | 71 | 20 | 19 | 110 |
| Neuropathic agent prescribing for pain (n/N, %) | ||||
| Yes | 25/177 (14.1) | 2/40 (5) | 6/30 (20) | 33/247 (13.4) |
| Missing | 71 | 20 | 19 | 110 |
| How quickly medicines for pain worked (n/N, %) | ||||
| <30 min | 12/22 (54.5) | 4/4 (100) | 1/4 (25) | 17/30 (56.7) |
| >31 min† | 9/22 (40.9) | 0/4 | 2/4 (50) | 11/30 (36.7) |
| Varies | 1/22 (4.5) | 0/4 | 1/4 (25) | 2/30 (6.7) |
*Includes data from the one missing country.
†Where time to effect was reported to be between 20 and 45 min or less than 1 hour or 30–60 min, this was grouped under effect over 31 min.
NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.