Assesment of palliative care patients admitted to the emergency department

The aim of this study is to examine patients who admitted to emergency department and need palliative care, and to analyze them in terms of both appropriate patient care and effective use of health institutions. The study was conducted prospectively on patients who applied to Bursa Uludağ University Health Application and Research Center, University of Health Sciences Bursa Yüksek İhtisas Education and Research Hospital and Bursa City Hospital emergency departments between 08.15.2021 and 02.15.2022 and needed palliative care. Chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between variables. A total of 261 patients, 143 male (54.8%) and 118 female (45.2%), were included in the study. It was determined that 50 (19.1%) of these patients had previously received palliative care services. It was determined that the patients included in the study admitted to the emergency departments 7.52±6.77 times in the last year. It was determined that the three most common diagnoses received by the patients in the emergency department were pneumonia (24.5%), urinary system infection (7.7%), and cerebrovascular disease (5.4%). Of the patients, 39.84% were clinically referred/ hospitalized, 25.28% were referred/ hospitalized to the intensive care units, 2.68% refused treatment, 2.68% died, and 29.5% was found to be discharged. As a result, it is understood that most of the patients in need of palliative care do not receive this service, and patients who can be treated in palliative care services are treated in clinical and intensive care units.